Ashes of the Past
by ThatOneDwarf
Summary: The Sequel to A Rise From Ashes: Team Rocket has begun infiltrating the higher ranks of the Pokemon League, with their master plan set into action, only one thing stops them from succeeding. One of their own.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Prologue**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Gunfire echoed loudly off of the metallic walls of the two hundred meter long chamber. Florescent lights hung tightly to the roof providing the long tunnel with light. Five stalls were lined up beside each other at one end of the rectangular room, giving a direct line of sight to the bullet chipped wall at the other end. A Grated balcony was supported two meters above the stalls, giving on lookers a clear view of the gun range.

Six armed men all dressed in black kept their gazes transfixed on the sole figure using the range. They would remain unmoving until their shift ended, they were relieved, or they were needed. Most of the time however, it was the latter.

Six shots rang out in rapid succession, before a muffled click, and the sound of an empty magazine could be heard rattling onto the ground. The lone figure on the range wore a black textile motorcycle jacket, dark blue jeans, and a black baseball cap that covered unruly raven black hair.

His face was lightly tanned, and had small lightning bolt shaped birthmarks on each of his cheeks. His eyes however were hidden in the deep shadow that his hat casted down over his face.

He reached forward and removed a full magazine from the holder in front of him and slid it into the chamber, which locked into place with a click. He thumbed off the safety and opened fire. His eyes darted to the heavily damaged ballistics dummy thirty feet ahead of him and to his left. He fired twice in rapid succession, the first bullet sheering straight through the throat of the dummy, right as the second bullet shattered the replica bone in its knee, sending the dummy crumpling to the ground.

He snapped the gun thirty degrees to his right and unloaded three shots into a dummy a hundred and fifty meters away. The first bullet tearing cleanly through the center of the dummies lung, while both of the other bullets tore through its false heart.

With one last adjustment, his eyes darted to the dummy at the end of the hall. He sighted, and accumulated for the drop and pulled back on the trigger. The low caliber round passed straight through between the dummies eyes and out the back of its head, causing the ballistic material to blossom outwards like a flower in spring.

His thumb slid the safety back and he placed the M9 handgun on top of the shelf that separated him from the range. He looked to his left and pressed a dark grey button, which let out a pitched high buzzing sound blare through the chamber.

He watched as the walls of the range seemed to open at certain intervals and black dressed men ran over to the ballistic dummies and began removing them from the range. Only to bring out undamaged sets which they began to secure into place.

They worked like slaves he thought watching the men in black rush up and down the halls. Doing his orders, doing whatever he or the Boss wanted. It was pathetic; they were cannon fodder, sent out to _steal_ low ranking Pokemon. And in the time of importance, to be sent out in the front lines to be slaughtered mercilessly. Pathetic.

He however was an Elite, a Specialist if you will. Born with natural talents in martial arts, strategizing to an extent that only he understood concepts that would seem to be insane, but would truly be those that succeed. He was the perfect soldier, the perfect-

'_I really missed you'_ A voice whispered.

His eyes narrowed at the voice, they were back. His eyes scanned the range ahead of him, looking for some sign of the voice that constantly taunted him.

'_You have to get out of here!'_

He winced as another voice spoke to him, "Shut up," He hissed quietly as his eyes darted back and forth.

'_No way man, training wheels are for sissy's!' _His eyes darted to a man in black who was screwing in a dummy.

_There was a soft giggle_. "Leave me alo-Ah!" He winced as a brief flash of a woman with red hair appeared before his eyes.

Above him, one of the armed men noticed that the shooter was quietly talking to himself. He reached to his belt and removed a hand held radio, "Subject 237 appears stressed, bring security level up to three," He spoke quietly into the radio so that 237 wouldn't be able to hear from down below.

A voice came from the radio, "I copy, will the subject need detainment?"

The man on the balcony listened carefully to 237.

'_Get Down!'_ 237 took a step back, he recognized that voice. It was slightly higher in octave, but it was his own.

'_There's two ways this is going to end,'_

"How?" He whispered, slowly reaching for the handgun. No answer came and he silently slipped the magazine out and replaced it into the holder. He picked up a full extended magazine, and slipped it into the chamber.

His eyes roamed the range; he was using all of his senses to locate where the voices were coming from. But there was silence.

He waited, seconds passed. But continuous silence.

'_I can wait.'_

His head slowly turned to look behind him, there was nothing there. Nothing except the three inch thick titanium alloy door that sealed him off from leaving.

'_I… I love you,'_

His head snapped forward and he thumbed the safety off. His eyes locked onto a man in black who was standing up from replacing a dummy. "Don't lie to me…" mumbled angrily. There was no answer, only silence.

His eyes snapped away from the man when he saw the flicker of a woman down the range. Shoulder length orange hair, aqua blue ruffled dress that cut off just over her knees, and the matching blue flats. It was her. And she wouldn't be getting away, not again.

In a heartbeat he raised the handgun and fired three rapid shots at the female, but she was too fast. She moved out of the way and he ended up hitting a man in black once in the shoulder, kidney and knee cap.

The armed man on the balcony took the radio and spoke urgently, "237 has reached critical stress levels, detain at all cost! Lethality is not an option!" He barked as he clicked the safety off of his rifle and hand signaled the others with him to do the same.

237 heard the click of the safety's and looked for the red head that ran off of the range. "Subject 237 Stand down!" A male voice ordered loudly over a PA system. Quickly grabbing two extra clips, he looked upwards and saw that his guards were gone.

With great urgency, he vaulted over the stand and began sprinting down the range, towards were one of the fast closing side doors. He caught sight of two men in black pulling the door shut and quickly brought up his side arm.

Three shots went off, the first hitting the closest one to him in the forehead spraying crimson blood and bits of flesh across the wall behind him. While the other two bullets tore through the other man's throat and upper torso which sent him crumpling over backwards.

237 sprinted through the semi closed wall and looked around frantically for the girl. He ran over to a door and pressed the lever that opens the door. It was locked.

Stepping back, he raised the pistol and unloaded three shots each into both hinges and emptied his current magazine before replacing it with a fully loaded one. He tried the door again, and this time the door fell over without its supports.

Quickly running around the corner he found that he was in a warehouse. There were crates, boxes, large shelving units, plenty of places to hide. "Show yourself!" He shouted furiously as he slowly begun to walk through the many aisle and piles of equipment, pistol at the ready.

There was silence, except for the muffled sounds of his boots on the dark tiled floor. He slowly walked towards a large open crate that appeared to have been opened recently. He watched carefully for any sort of movement that may alert him to any company.

He held his breath as he pulled aside the wooden lid inch by inch. Then with one final tug, the lid slid off and he pointed the gun frantically around the inside of the crate. He let out the breath he'd been holding as all he saw were assorted machine or computer parts.

Quickly he turned away from the crate and begun to search through more of the warehouse, checking every square inch for a trace of the girl. He reached to pull a cloth away from something when a sixth sense told him someone else was there.

Slowly he gripped the pistol tightly and continued to reach for the cloth, when his fingertips grazed the sheet he dove to the left behind a pile of crates. Muffled gunfire erupted above his head and to his right. Quickly spinning around to where his attackers were, he counted to three and stood up.

As soon as he saw the first of the men who had opened fire on him, he fired a single shot that took him in the heart, killing him instantly. He didn't wait for the body to hit the ground before he stepped out from the crate and began unloading suppressing fire towards the remaining enemies.

He kept firing as he picked up the dead man's assault rifle and rushed towards where his attackers were. Two feet from where his attackers were, he went down and slid past them before unloading the rest of the pistols clip into two men's back, and the rifles into another's.

He swore when all that happened to the man he fired the rifle into cried out in pain. Rubber bullets. Discarding both weapons, he dove at the pained man and knocked him onto his back. Furiously he savagely continued punching him squarely in the nose for a solid minute before letting up.

He grabbed him by the collar with both hands, and brought his face right in front of the nearly unconscious man, "Where is she!" 237 barked angrily.

The bloodied man mumbled something incoherently which in return let him receive another solid blow to the nose, "Where is she dammit! And don't you dare lie to me!"

"I… I dunt no. I'm sor-" 237 gave him another solid punch to the already heavily shattered nose.

"Don't lie to me or I'll fuc-" He was cut off as something heavy threw itself into his side and off of the heavily battered man. He rolled back and eyed his new foe. 237 went to attack, but was driven off of his feet when something tackled him from behind and onto the ground.

He went to roll over, but the first man who tackled him pinned his shoulder s down, while the other kept himself firmly on his back.

Furious, he used his adrenaline rush to millimeter by millimeter push himself off the ground, his arms buckled from underneath him and he cried out in pain as a sharp object buried itself deep into his neck. He felt the object slide out from his body, as his mind began to become hazy and his limbs go numb.

"Subject detained, we have two visual fatalities and one wounded on our end. Bringing subject over to infirmary for treatment, ETA two minutes." The two men got off of 237 and one of them picked him up, while the other helped up the nearly unconscious attacker.

Together the three left the warehouse and carried the incapacitated 237 towards the infirmary.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**[Two Hours Later]**

A man with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes walked swiftly through the dimly lit corridors towards a pair of large wooden oak doors. The man wore black sweatpants that tucked into knee high light grey boots, and a black shirt that was emblazoned with a large red R in the center.

Marching up to the door he took a deep shaky breath and knocked firmly three times. And then he waited. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest, the Boss was not someone you wanted talk to. Especially if it involved bad news. After a minute of silence a voice came from the other end.

"Come in." The voice was deep and rang with pure authority. Quickly pushing open the wooden doors, he entered the Boss's office. Book shelves lined the walls of the small rectangular room. Except for the wall opposite of the doors, where a large triple monitored screen filled the wall. A large oak desk, engraved with cursive designs for a border was positioned in the center of the room.

Behind the desk sat a man who wore an orange suit, with a large build and hard facial features. His dark brown hair was gelled backwards, which showed off the beginning traces of steel grey flecks of hair. His black eyes drove straight into his own, sending a shudder running down his spine.

"What do you want?" He asked calmly.

The man in black stood uneasily, "Giovanni sir… It happened again." He informed nervously.

Giovanni's eyes narrowed, and flashed with anger. "When?"

"Two hours ago sir!"

Scowling, Giovanni looked the Grunt dead in the eye, "How many casualties?" He asked bluntly.

"Six killed, and one lightly wounded sir."

"How'd it happen?" He asked suddenly, forgetting about the casualties.

"Security tapes are being transferred to your computer as we speak sir, they should be ready any moment!"

"Get out." Giovanni said angrily. The Grunt new better then to question the Boss, quickly he saluted the Leader of Team Rocket and disappeared from the office. Giovanni pressed a button on his desk and spoke, "Get me Dr. Fuji on the line, now!" He barked furiously. He was greeted by silence, in which he responded to by turning on his computer and opening a new file.

Giovanni opened the security tape, and skipped ahead to minutes before 237 begun shooting. His eyes never left the screen as a female voice spoke to him, "Fuji is ready on line three sir!" Giovanni paused the security tape and took a remote that was on his desk and turned around to face the monitors.

Pressing a button, the screens lit up with a picture of a balding man with glasses, who had a nose shaped like a beak and an ash grey goatee.

"Giovanni sir, what can I be of assistance to you for?" Fuji asked curiously.

"It happened again Howard. This is beginning to get out of hand!" Giovanni stated angrily.

Fuji scowled and swore under his breath, "How long ago did it take place?" He asked disappearing off screen.

"Two and a half hours ago."

There was a delay, before Fuji returned with a file in hand. His eyes scanned its contents and he looked back at the screen, "He had gone just over a month without a relapse. The serum is growing weaker,"

"And what are we supposed to do about that?"

Fuji sighed, "There are two options we can do. Both of which are risky, the first being we administer a higher dosage and hope that it halts the memories."

Giovanni raised an eyebrow, "And the risk with that?" He asked impatiently.

"If we administer too much in at once, his mind will be wiped. Completely gone."

"We could just retrain-"

Fuji shook his head, "No I mean gone. He'd forget everything, how to speak, how to walk, he'd be reverted back to an infant. It would take years to reteach him all of his skills."

Giovanni swore and looked Fuji in the eye, "And the second option?"

"We continue as things are. We keep him away from objects or places that may trigger a flashback or a lost memory and hope that he doesn't fall into another relapse. If he ends up coming full circle and regains his memories, then we can go ahead with the first option and hope for the best."

The Rocket leader drummed his fingers across the arms of his chair in thought, "Tell me doctor, you said it yourself that he should have forgotten his past hours after the first injection. Why hadn't it worked?"

Fuji looked away in thought as he pondered the question, "The boy is stronger than we thought. He's been fighting it, he refuses to fully forget and that's where our problems really lie. His will power I suppose."

Giovanni sat motionlessly as he thought over what the doctor had said, he knew the boy was strong. And they needed him stable for the next phase of the plan. He was supposed to be ready months ago, but his damned will power kept him unfit for solo missions, or any missions in general without going AWOL.

"We can't keep waiting; it could take months for him to stabilize. I want you to go ahead with the first operation." Giovanni ordered firmly.

Fuji gaped in shock, "Sir I don't thin-" Giovanni cut him off with a sharp look.

"I want this done doctor, and soon." Fuji stared at Giovanni for a whole minute before slowly nodding.

"Yes sir… I'll have to do multiple tests' to find the exact quantity of the serum, which will take at least a month," Fuji stated seriously as he gestured to someone off screen.

Giovanni nodded, "Good, keep me informed of your progress and send me any alternative methods that become available!" He ordered.

Fuji nodded, "Yes sir!" With that the transmission cut off and Giovanni turned back to the computer screen. He resumed watching the security tapes in silence, his eyes darted back and forth across the screen as he watched Subject 237 shoot his way to the warehouse.

He watched intently as 237 began viciously beating one of his Elite's. His intelligence force had provided him with the entire history of Subject 237's past; there were only a small amount time fragments that remained elusive to him.

These small increments of time seemed to be the focus of 237's memory flashes, and the source of his problems. There was one memory that appeared to be more prominent then the others, 237 keeps remembering a female. Every time they go to ask for the description of the girl, he has already forgotten due to his medications.

Giovanni ended the security tape and leaned back in his black leather chair. "What are we going to do with you…?" He muttered quietly as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

He sat in silence as he thought over his situation. Growing frustrated, he shoved the thought aside and picked up a file that was on his desk. Thumbing it open, he removed the lone document and read it over. Slowly a malicious grin began to etch its way across his mouth, as he set the document back onto the desk.

Funds would begin to soar as another operative completed a high priority assignment.

Dethroning the current Hoenn League Champion.

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**Well... Yea, pretty good shit right? No, maybe, yes? **

**Well yes this is the first Chapter of the Sequel, and I bet you can tell that well, it's going to be a bit different then A Rise From Ashes. **

**The Chapter was short, but this was the Prologue of sorts. I had an actual Prologue planned, but I decided that it wouldn't really fit into the beginning **  
**of the story.**

**Now, it's kinda obvious who 237 is. But there's explanations coming and a lot of stuff happening in the next... Three or so chapters. **

**Now for update times for this story, I'm going to do probably an update every other week, or monthly updates due to my other story. And I want to keep the writing up to par with this chapter, which I think is probably the best writing I've done.**

**And if you follow my other story, there was no update this week due to me writing this chapter and working on a one-shot. With the June starting in just over a week, updates will be very few because my summer has been put in jeopardy. I'm failing Science and if I don't pass, Summer School... _Yay_... And I can't let that happen so I'll be buckling down as it were.**

**If you have any questions about the sequel, or any comments, feedback, quotes, conspiracy theories, math equations, studying tips, anything in general to say, please review and let me no! I've said it before and I'm saying it again, "I Love Reviews whether they are positive or negative, they make my day and give me amazing feedback."**

**Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the first of hopefully many chapters.  
**

**And now for the Epic Finale...  
**

**_This is ThatOneDwarf... Signing Off!_  
**

**Oh that felt good to say...  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Hope**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A light breeze drifted gently through the clear blue sky and into the deafening stadium, where tens of thousands of fans stood on their feet in heart pounding anticipation for the challenger to deliver the finishing blow to the Hoenn Champion. Cheers rained down from the stands willing on the young woman to take the title of Champion for herself.

"And this is all but over folks; Hoenn Champion Steven Stone is almost down for the count. All challenger Melissa Jones needs to do is order her final attack!" The announcer commented over the roar of the crowd.

Down on the dirt battlefield two figures stood at each end of the rectangular field, one being the Hoenn League Champion Steven Stone, and the other being the challenger Melissa Jones.

Steven blew a wisp of sweaty steel blue hair out of his eyes as he concentrated on the near unconscious Pokemon in front of him. To spectators, analysts, and trainers alike, the championship match would be seen as an evenly matched back and forth battle. But most of the outside world did not, and would not know that the challenger was holding back.

Time slowed down around him, as he watched his opponent bring her arm up and around in front of her and point towards his loyal friend and ally Metagross, where she called out the final move.

"Typhlosion end this with a Fire Blast!" Melissa cried encouragingly to the Volcano Pokemon. Her Typhlosion let out a deep throated battle cry as the flames on its back erupted into a wildfire. Bracing itself onto all fours, the bear-like Pokemon opened its sharp canine teeth laden jaw as flames begun to form into a sphere of scorching heat.

"Metagross stop it with Light Screen!" Steven shouted desperately in a desperation counter attack. But it was to no avail, the massive ball of scorching flames slammed into the screen of energy shattering the attack and cutting straight into the tank-like steel type Pokemon.

Metagross cried out in pain as it was sent sliding back under the impact of the super-effective attack. Wincing, Metagross shakily rose back onto all fours and glared down its opponent. Steven watched in admiration of his starter pokemon as it pushed itself off of the ground, the steel type knew the consequences of losing this match, and to see it going the extra mile made him proud.

"And look at the determination by Metagross, how much longer can it han-" The announcer stopped in an instant as a groan came from the steel type causing it to fall to the ground in a heap unconscious. The stadium was deafly silent in a moment of disbelief and excitement.

A referee stepped forward and raised a green flag into the air, "Metagross is unable to battle, which means the winner and new Hoenn Champion is Melissa Jones!"

There was a brief pause of silence before the crowd leapt off their feet and shook the stadium with thunderus applause, "She did it! For the first time in seven years Hoenn has crowned a new Hoenn League Champion!" The announcer exclaimed ecstatically!

Steven walked swiftly over to his fallen comrade, crouching down and laying a gentle hand onto Metagross, he smiled, "You were amazing out there old friend, I couldn't be more proud of you," He said softly.

The steel type let out a disappointed groan and looked dejectedly away from its trainer. Steven smiled sympathetically as he pulled out its Pokeball, "It's alright Metagross, let's get you over to Nurse Joy, you fought your heart out in that battle you must be dead tired." There was a slight nod from Metagross and Steven recalled his old friend and looked over to the new Champion.

Sighing, he stood up, dusted his legs off and walked over to Melissa with a tired smile on his face. The brunette grinned ecstatically at Steven and met him at the center of the field, "That was an amazing battle Steven, you were fantastic!" She complimented jumpily.

Steven held out his hand and smiled, "It sure was Melissa, congratulations on the win and I wish you the best of luck with your reign as Champion," _'Or you could lose to the next challenger who faces you.'_

Melissa took the hand and shook firmly, "Thank you Steven that means a lot to me!" Steven turned to the crowd once more and raised his hand in farewell; the stadium erupted into a booming standing ovation for the now former long-time champion.

Bowing once, he turned around and began making his way over to the field entrance. Stepping into the dark hallway, he reached into his pocket and removed a dark blue Pokegear. "Damn," he muttered as he flipped the device open and dialed in a number.

The Pokegear rang twice before it was answered by a male voice, "Steven?" the man asked sympathetically.

He sighed, "I tried Lance, but those Pokemon were too powerful for me to handle." His voice was lined with anguish.

"Don't be hard on yourself, after the ceremony take the next flight over to Head Quarters, Cynthia has some new information regarding Giovanni's plan." Lance informed seriously, even though Steven had lost there were bigger problems at hand.

Steven raised a quizzical eyebrow at the news, "What did she find out?"

"She didn't say, all I know is that an Elite from our Sinnoh branch returned with some files?"

"That's it?" He didn't bother hiding the heavy disappointment in voice.

There was a slight pause, "I don't know Steven, she said that whatever the Elite brought back could be the game changer in the war,"

Steven whistled in slight astonishment, "Well if it really can change the tide of all this, it must be pretty damn important."

"Well we'll find out in a few hours, Cynth is going to meet us at HQ so I'm going to get some paper work out of the way and leave you to get ready for the ceremony."

Steven nodded, "Alright Lance I'll see you soon," He said farewell.

"I'll talk to you later Steven take care," With that Lance ended the call, and Steven continued down the hallway and went out through a door to the back of the stadium.

'_Hopefully whatever Cynthia found out is true; Team Rocket is really starting to get on my nerves…'_ He thought bitterly as he continued walking towards Ever Grande Villages resident Pokemon Center.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Pallet Town.

_The town of pure-white beginnings_, as the old time saying goes. The small peaceful starting town where hundreds of kids per generation kick off their Pokemon Journeys. The quaint little town was scarce in in features and landmarks, except for the famous Professor Oaks laboratory which resided atop a hill looking over Pallet. And PIA-Pallet Interregional Airlines, which flew to practically every Region in the world.

The history was little to none; a hundred and fifty years ago construction began on a small village for travellers from other regions to settle down and find work, before heading off to the larger cities such as Pewter or Cerulean where they would spend the rest of their days. Other than that the only other history was that of Professor Samuel Oak, the famous Pokemon Researcher.

There was however family histories that had become well known in the Pokemon World from the town of Pallet. One being the Oaks, the famous Pokemon Researching family known worldwide for their leading Pokemon Research on anything Pokemon.

The other.

The other had become a scandal which lit up news stations, billboards, papers, magazines, and talk shows alike; the name would go down as a scandal that cancelled the Indigo League for two years for investigation and for causing an uproar which cost the League millions of dollars in expenses. The name which caused the League their problems was Ketchum.

Or more importantly Ash Ketchum, the son of Delia and Jay Ketchum. The rising star of Pallet, most would never say it to his face, but some would say prodigy. His natural talent for battling, his bond with his friends and Pokemon, his passion for helping others before himself, made him a natural leader and Pokemon Trainer.

An ordinary boy at first, travelling the world with friends, entering regional tournaments and Leagues, everything a regular Pokemon Trainer does. However the Ketchum scandal started well after Ashs first League. Three years into being a Trainer, he had finally won his first League giving him the chance at the champion's title.

Unfortunately his chance at the title he craved would never come, during the ceremony as he was being crowned the winner of the Sinnoh League, it was attacked. His body was never found among the wreckage of the stadium, and for years he was wiped off of the face of the Earth, never to be seen again.

And he would remain unseen, until four years passed where he revealed himself to the world in the Indigo League. Surprising the world with his reappearance, and the uniform he wore. He shocked the world by entering the semi-finals dressed as a Team Rocket agent.

And that is where he died, being shot during the course of the battle and dying in the hospital. The world was stunned, and almost immediately media worldwide started flaring up rumors and controversy surrounding the Ketchum family.

Most revolving around the small town family being a part of the Team Rocket organization, and trying to steal other Trainers Pokemon. But when he refused to do so, Team Rockets solution was to eliminate the person who betrayed them.

But that wasn't the case; there were only a select few who really knew what was going on in the League and the involvement of Ash Ketchum. And one of those peoples name was Misty Waterflower.

Misty Water flower, also known as the fourth Sensational Sister and Cerulean Gym Leader walked wearily down the dirt road leading away from Professor Oaks Laboratory. A slight breeze blew through the afternoon sky and through her shoulder length orange silk hair. Her attire consisted of light blue skinny jeans, a yellow hoodie which hugged every one of her curves tightly that defined her as a beautiful young woman, and a red drawstring bag slung across her back.

She would catch the eye of many teenage boys and men, who would stop and stare as she passed by. Some would even stop her and ask her for her number, but she would always turn them down. She was already taken.

She let out a quiet sigh and stuffed her hands into her pockets. Her cerulean eyes glanced around her surroundings and she took in the beautiful place that was Pallet Town. The rolling green hills with the green grass swaying to the constant breeze in the air, the chirping of Pidgeys as they talked to each other in an incomprehensible language, the bright sun in a clear blue sky, in other words it had the makings of a beautiful day.

Her eyes caught sight of the all too familiar small two-story home and white picket fence. The moment her eyes fell upon it, she felt her heart tighten in pain. It was just over one year ago that she had seen him, that she had held him… That she had shared her first kiss with him.

And it all felt like a dream. No. A nightmare which she couldn't erase from her mind, but she could pretend, even as hard as it was, to hide it. A lot had happened one year ago, Ash had returned, she had learned where he had been for the past few years, which led to her confessing that she still loved him and him telling her that he felt the same way. And then he disappeared all over again.

Pushing open the gate of the white picket fence, she knocked lightly twice on the front door, twisted the door-knob, and pushed open the front door. She stepped into the cozy little living room of the home, which had a television mounted on the wall, a three seater sofa, and a chair placed in front of it, pictures lined the walls of the room, pictures of a brunette woman, a young Ash, herself, and many of their friends.

She turned towards the staircase when a yellow blur raced down and leapt into her arms, "Pikachupi pikachu," the small yellow mouse cooed as it snuggled into her embrace.

A soft smile graced her mouth, "Hey Pikachu how are you doing?" She asked kindly, stoking his fur gently.

"Chuka pi cha pika pika," Pikachu replied happily.

"Oh Misty dear your back already?" A brunette woman asked curiously coming around the corner from the kitchen.

"Yeah Gary got a call from Professor Elm about some possible evolution thing and it was going to be a while before they finished so I headed out," She replied going to sit down on the couch, Pikachu still in her arms.

"Oh well Alyssa will be down in a few, we just finished gardening so she's taking a shower before dinner."

"Okay Delia, do you need any help cooking?" She asked the older woman politely.

Delia smiled warmly at the Cerulean Gym Leader, "Sure Misty dear I'd love some help," The two females entered the small kitchen and began chopping vegetables, with Delia consistently glancing over to where Misty was working to make sure she was able to keep up.

The two worked in silence, except for the sound of knives hitting wooden cutting boards. The Cerulean Gym Leader glanced over to the older woman she considered a mother, who was cutting a few pieces of celery.

After Ash had… Passed away, everyone had gone through major emotional troubles. Herself had taken a couple of months off from her duties as Gym Leader and moved in with Delia and Alyssa, who had been given permanent residence at the Ketchum home at Ashs request according to his mother.

Alyssa the Ex-Rocket member, had gone into heavy depression and felt alone in the world as Ash was her only true friend, and first love. After time though, she had grown close to Misty, Delia, and all of Ashs Pokemon. Unfortunately, there was a high degree of tension between Ashs old travelling companions and the Ex-Rocket member due to the fact that they thought she could have stopped Ash from competing in the semi-final match and he'd still be alive.

His old travelling companions had their own ways of dealing with the tragedy, Brock and Gary buried themselves in work, research, and anything that could occupy their time. While May, and Dawn had dropped out of that years Unova Grande Festival in depression, and took a leave of absence from competing and training.

Who surprised everyone the most however was Delia, the first two or so weeks had been brutally painful for her. With all the tabloids, television shows, and more posting false rumors about her son and family had been an overload of painful moments for her. But quite soon after that, she was back to her old self, happy, cheery, motherly, loving, the Delia Ketchum everyone knew and loved.

But Misty knew by experience, that behind the way she was acting, she was harbouring feelings of despair, sadness, stress, loss, and all the emotions that come with losing a loved one. Everyone knew that Delia was being strong for them; she was the one who pulled herself together for Ash.

He'd want them to move on with their lives… Even if it was so hard.

"Delia!" A female voice cried from upstairs. Delia and Mistys head snapped to look at the living room as they heard footsteps rushing down the stairs. Coming around the corner was a wide-eyed blond with a pony tail held in place by a green hair elastic, who wore a green tank top and dark blue skinny jeans, that showed off her petit frame and curves.

"Alyssa honey what's wrong?" Delia asked worriedly.

Alyssa glanced at the two women, "It's started," She said urgently!

"What's started?"

"Steven lost his title; Team Rocket is starting whatever their planning!" Her voice was filled with unease and worry as she gestured for them to follow her into the living room where she turned on the television.

Misty and Delia froze in place and an unsettling feel filled the bottom of the stomach as they followed the blond into the living room where a news report was playing.

"_The new Hoenn Champion Melissa Jones, will officially take over her duties as Champion tomorrow at noon. Two hours ago the 22 year old from Phenac City of Orre, was crowned as Champion by Steven Stone, who lost his title by having no Pokemon remaining while Jones still had two Pokemon capable for battle. Join us later tonight for an extended coverage of the new Champion and her home origins at 8. This is Jessica Waters from KNN News, back to you Phil."_

"_Thanks Je-" _The television was shut off leaving the three in paranoid silence.

"Are you sure it's…" Misty didn't finish, mainly because she couldn't bring herself to say the organization that ruined their lives.

"There's a chance of course that it's not, but… It's gotta be, I mean after everything we found out its just falling right into place…" Alyssa said quietly, later that night she was going to watch that coverage on the _new champion_ and then do investigating of her own to hopefully see that Jones wasn't a Team Rocket member.

"I… I think dinners ready you two; we shouldn't be talking about these things… We can only hope that the G-Men are able to stop whatever _they_ are planning…" Delia said trying to keep the conversation away from that topic as she left back into the kitchen.

Misty and Alyssa glanced uneasily at each other, before following Delia into the kitchen hoping that she was right.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The sound of consistent _clacking_ of dress shoes could be heard going down a long white hallway towards a single door that read _Command Center_ engraved on the outside. Steven strided swiftly towards the wooden door and grasped the door knob and pushed inwards.

The _Command Center_ was no bigger than a small classroom. A rectangular wooden table was placed directly in the center of the room that housed a three-dimensional map of all the Regions. Around the room were computer, sonar, topography, and security monitors all alike aligned against the walls displaying all sorts of technical jargon that most would be able to understand if their lives depended on it.

There were two men in the room as Steven entered, one being a man in his early thirties who had flame red hair, and wore a black jumpsuit and cape. The other was a man in his mid to late forties with dark grey hair peppered with steel grey flecks, his face was weathered and showed the signs of a man who had seen a lot in his time. He wore a navy blue suit, with a Lieutenant Ensign patched on his shoulders, over his chest a plethora of colored medals hung polished and placed neatly in order.

"Lance, Lieutenant Anderson," Steven said in greeting as he shook hands firmly with the Dragon Master, and Lieutenant.

"Glad you could make it Steven, Cynthia should be here shortly." Lance informed as he turned back to Anderson.

"May I ask why you are here Anderson; shouldn't you be strategizing assaults on Rocket warehouses or training facilities?" Steven asked curiously.

Anderson cleared his throat before speaking, "I'm not sure why I'm here actually, I was telegraphed from our Sinnoh Branch that I should be here for when Cynthia arrives. Apparently she has an important target in mind that could be beneficial to shutting down those bastards," He spoke gruffly.

"And I do," A female spoke from behind, causing the three to turn around and see the Sinnoh Champion walk into the room, files in hand.

"It's great to see you again Cynthia," Lance greeted cheerfully, taking the blond into a friendly hug.

She smiled, "It's been a while hasn't it," She pulled out of the hug and turned to Steven and offered him a sympathetic smile as she in turn took him into an embrace, "I'm sorry about today Steven, we know you did your best out there,"

Steven smiled and waved it away, "What's done is done, no point dwelling on the past." He said seriously.

"Mam," The Lieutenant spoke as he held out his hand and the blond shook in return.

"Hello Anderson how is everything going?" She asked politely.

"It's going alright, giving Rockets hell as usual." He shrugged uncaringly which let a smile grace the Sinnoh Champion's lips.

"That's good to hear," A serious look crossed her face, "Now I suppose you're wondering why I called you all here?" The three nodded in confirmation as a sign to continue. She handed a file to each of them and kept one for herself, and watched as they took out and examined each document.

Three minutes of silence passed until, looking up at Cynthia Lance spoke, "I don't quite understand how medical records and… A facility in Johto can benefit us Cynth,"

Cynthia nodded and gestured to the document he held, "Look at the dates, drugs, effects, and injection dates, on the third sheet fourth paragraph,"

The three flipped to the fourth sheet and their eyes scanned back and forth as they read over the text, "First injection… October 12, of… The drug is black lined?" Steven asked clearly confused at where this was going.

"What happened October 12?" She stated seriously, most of what she had recovered was blacked out leaving small bits of information that happened to reveal a lot with the help of an expert hacker.

Lance eyed Cynthia curiously; he knew what happened in October. Hell the entire world somewhat knew what happened, "Ash Ketchum was shot down at the League… Why does that matter though?"

"Because he's alive!" The blond exclaimed seriously!

Lance and Steven exchanged uneasy glances, "Cynth," Steven started gently, "We know that there was something about the kid that was special about him but he's dea-"

Cynthia's face lit up with a rare sign of anger, "He's not dead, Team Rocket somehow kept him alive! Look at the first injection, Tetrodotoxin slows your heart rate and pulse, as well as turning the body cold along with paralysation. They faked his death dammit, then somehow got his body out of their!"

Lance shook his head, "We were at the funeral Cynthia, we saw them lower the full casket into the ground."

"Look at the second and third injections, their blacked out but from what I understand it's some sort of… Liquidized amnesia drug, if put into the blood stream in certain quantity's it can hinder the person's memory!"

"But how does tha-"

"The first dose should have wiped his memories clean, but there been multiple injections, and they become more frequent as time goes on!"

"But how does that explain the body in the casket Cynthia," Lance stated seriously, he was all for going along with Cynthia's plans, but this seemed a little unusual for her.

Cynthia scowled and removed a picture from her folder and handed it to the Dragon Master, "This is proof that it's him, the Elite that got this information did damn near everything possible to get all the proof she could. And if that picture isn't proof enough then I don't know!"

Lance put the black and white photo under a light and examined it closely, he'd be lying if he said that it didn't look like Ketchum, it was a picture of a young man with a black hat covering most of his face in a shadow, "It looks like him sure Cynthia, but how can you be sure it's not just another Rocket?"

Cynthia handed him one last photo, which was brightened and showed just barely small lightning bolt shaped marks on the young man's cheeks. Lance handed the photos to Steven and waited as he compared the photos.

"Okay I'm with you Cynthia, this certainly looks like the kid," Steven agreed. Lance nodded in agreement.

"So you want to target this facility as a rescue mission?" Anderson spoke up, he'd been listening to the Champions converse and now it was his turn to step in.

"Exactly,"

"No offence mam, but what's so special about this kid in the first place?"

"He holds valuable information regarding Team Rocket; he's being trained as their top operative and could prove to be a highly useful asset in future engagements… And for whatever sick reason, Giovanni wants him. He's gone through a hell of a lot to keep him alive, after all this so there's got to be a reason."

The room was silent as they thought over what the blond Champion had suggested.

"I'm in," Steven agreed, slowly nodding his head.

"I'm up for it, I can start planning the assault once this meeting's over," Anderson agreed seriously.

Cynthia turned to Lance, "That's three Lance, what do you think?"

Lance slowly shook his head, "I want to do this _if_ it was him… But we simply don't know, it could just be some imposter for all we know."

"Lance think rational-"

"I am thinking rationally Cynthia, if this is Ketchum, then what the hell did they bury at the funeral? And how the hell did they get him out of the hospital? We're jumping too quickly into things here!"

"Lance it's him jus-"

"If I may interject here Mam?" Anderson piped in gruffly.

"Yes Lieutenant?"

"Lance is right in this matter, if we jump in to quickly this can fall back on us quickly. But there is a way to confirm whether or not this is him or not."

The Champions and Ex-Champion turned curiously to the Lieutenant, "How?" Steven asked for them.

"Dig up the body and test the DNA."

The three went silent and cast each other a questioning look, that's all they really need to do. Check the DNA and see if they match, and they'd have their answer.

Slowly Lance nodded in agreement, shortly followed by Steven, "I agree with Anderson on this, do a DNA check on the remains and compare it with…" Lance stopped and looked at the others.

"What do we compare it with?"

"We could request medical history from a hospital, but that could take weeks to get… There is one alternative though…" Steven said slowly, he knew that this was a dangerous road to go down. But it was probably for the best.

"What is it?" Cynthia asked sensing his hesitation.

"His mother."

Once it was in the open, the Champions knew they had a big decision to make in this matter. Should they involve outsiders with this information, or keep it under wraps.

* * *

**Had some free time, and got this finished. Still cramming so no more updates till after June. Now onto this week's stuff.**

**This chapter hinted towards something's that will come into play later on in the story, how soon? I'm not sure.**

**I also wanted this chapter to go into detail on what happened during the one year time period between stories.**

**And now a question I've got for you all, I've got to make a cover for my stories, and I'm not the most artistic person out there. Mostly photo-shopping and such, so if you're an artist or something and would like to make the cover for this, A Rise from Ashes, A Guardians Princess, etc. Send me a picture, and if I like it I'll give you credit in the story, and use it as the cover.**

**Oh, and I'm thinking about going back and re-editing A rise from Ashes, so shorter chapters, better grammar, punctuation and all. Still undecided, but let me know what you all think.  
**

**Anyways, no updates again for a while, Science is still giving me hell so.**

**Thanks again everyone for reading, I loved your reviews for last chapter they gave me great feedback on how you guys thought this was starting off, and I want to say seriously thank you all for your feedback it is fantastic.**

**Please Read and Review, it really means a lot to me even if it's just a sentence, or an entire paragraph. **

**Thanks again for reading and **_**This is ThatOneDwarf Signing off!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three  
**

**Truth**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**[One Week Later]**

"So is Jones really apart of Team Rocket?" Misty asked taking a glance at the blond beside her. She and Alyssa stood out in the afternoon sun at the Oak Corral, watching Pikachu relax with a group of Ashs Pokemon by the lake.

"Her back story is legit, she won the Hoenn League six years ago, travelled around to train her Pokemon before taking on the Elite Four, won the badges fairly. But she could have been tempted by Team Rocket at any point in her career to join. So honestly I'm not sure,"

Misty sighed and pulled out her Pokegear, checking the time, it was ten after five, "It's almost dinner time, and Delia will be waiting for us."

Alyssa nodded and readjusted her beret, "Better get going then huh?" Misty nodded in agreement and together they headed towards the group of relaxed Pokemon.

"Hey Pikachu it's time to go!" Misty called out to the yellow mouse that was sun bathing next to a large dog with orange and black fur. Pikachu's ears twitched at her voice before his eyes fluttered open to see the two girls approaching them.

Rolling onto his stomach, he stood up and stretched before scampering over to Misty and leaping onto her head. "Did you have fun Pikachu?"

"Chuka pi cha pikachu," Pikachu agreed with a nod of his head. Waving goodbye to the rest of the Pokemon, the trio made their way into Professor Oak's lab where they were greeted by a young man with spikey brown hair who wore a lab coat over a black polo shirt and cargo pants.

"Are you three heading out?" Gary asked curiously.

"It's about time for dinner, but we'll be back around here tomorrow afternoon," Misty answered as he wrapped his arms around her waist, which caused Pikachu to leap into Alyssa's arms.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then?" He asked softly giving her a light kiss on the lips.

She nodded, "Yup," She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll see you later," She answered as he released his hold on her.

He turned to Alyssa and Pikachu who watched the scene in silence, "I'll see you guys later, take care." He said in farewell as he turned away and walked around a corner and out of sight.

Misty let out a heavy sigh and gestured for Alyssa to follow, in silence they left the Lab and began making their way down the dirt path that led into the streets of Pallet. Alyssa and Pikachu chatted quietly to each other leaving Misty to her thoughts.

She felt like she was betraying him, moving on from him almost right away. She had loved him and she still did, but he was gone, dead, forever never to return. Gary was there for her, and usually she wouldn't care for him but … When Ash had died it had been too much, Gary had been there to comfort her and she accepted it. She couldn't help but feel like she only wanted his comfort because he reminded her of Ash, and the fact he lived near Delia.

She liked him sure, but did she love him? No, and she doubt she ever would. She wished she could, but right now she was still too hung up on Ash. She was the same as Alyssa hopelessly in love with someone who was gone. With a false hope that some miracle would bring him back. But it was hopeless, he was gone. Never to return again.

Pikachu turned to look at Misty as she let out another quiet sigh, he knew that whatever she was thinking about had to deal with Ash. The past year had been hard for all of them, especially the girls, himself and the rest of Ashs Pokemon.

The girls dealt with it by sharing stories with each other late at night, and by keeping themselves busy. He and the other Pokemon kept each other's spirits up, the get together every few days were stress relievers, to continue training, reminisce to each other about past adventures, and discuss the future. They did more than the Trainers realized, keeping their moral raised for future events.

The water Pokemon were lucky, Misty would occasionally have them transferred over to Cerulean Gym where they could participate in Gym battles. It was a kind gesture, like Alyssa's proposition of becoming a Trainer. Following in Ashs footsteps and getting all of the other Pokemon the challenges they trained for.

He admired both girls attitude towards Ashs passing, they were all still far from getting over it due to nightmares, the occasional time you forget that he was gone and not right next to you, it was rough. But they were coping as well as he was.

A breeze blew gently through the air, Pikachus ears twitched in curiosity and he sniffed at the air. He frowned and sniffed again, a foreign scent lingered in the air, closing his eyes he drowned out the sounds of the girls footsteps and tried to pinpoint where that smell was coming from.

"Pika!" Pikachu leapt out of Alyssa's arms, shocking both girls as he turned back and began sprinting away from them.

"Pikachu what's wrong?" Alyssa shouted at the yellow mouse who was putting a considerable amount of distance between them.

"Let's go, it's not like him to just run off like that!" Misty stated quickly, the two girls broke out into a sprint in pursuit of Pikachu who they could see in the distance was sparking his cheeks as he rounded a corner.

Pikachu sprinted down a path that led into a wooded part of Pallet Town, not stopping in stride; he leapt into the air and swung an iron tail at the lock of an iron barred gate ahead of him. The gate flew backwards off its hinges and Pikachu sprinted through the rows of gravestones until he saw a large dark blue shark like Pokemon digging into the ground.

Growling furiously electricity began engulfing Pikachus body and began arcing out dangerously as he sprinted towards the Pokemon. The land shark turned from digging just in time to see Pikachu leap off the ground and spear it in its midsection sending it tumbling backwards until it came to an abrupt stop.

"Pika Pikachu Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu growled furiously at the three humans and Pokemon who stood by the gravestone. Pikachu glanced behind him and saw the name etched on the gravestone, _Ash Ketchum_.

"Pika Pika Pikachu!" electricity crackled and danced across his fur as he prepared to defend his Trainers grave.

"Pikachu calm down," The blond took a step forward, but a jolt of lighting stopped her in her path.

"Cynthia…" Lance glanced at the Sinnoh Champion cautiously; they had almost reached the body when the Pikachu showed up. And now they were caught.

"Pikachu it's me Cynthia, don't you remember me?" She asked softly.

Pikachu nodded, but the danger in his eyes didn't lessen, "Pikachu pika Pikapi!"

"Pikachu where are you!" A voice in the distant called out.

"Dammit," Steven muttered angrily, they tried doing this undercover. But now they were going to have to deal with the family.

"Pikachupi Chukapi Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted as he stepped forward forcing the Champions back. Misty and Alyssa ran into view and saw the partially dug hole above Ashs grave.

"Wha-whats going on!" Misty asked worriedly as she turned to face the Champions, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Misty, we're here on G-Men business and we-"

"I don't care what you're doing, why the hell are you digging up his grave!" Alyssa yelled angrily, just who the hell did these people think they were, trying to grave rob Ash or whatever sick twisted thing they're doing.

"Please cal-"

"No we will not _calm down_; you are digging up our friends grave for Gods sakes!" Misty retaliated quickly.

Lance glanced to Cynthia and nodded, Cynthia stepped forward, "We're doing this because there is a reason to believe Ash is alive." Her voice was firm, daring them to contradict her.

Misty, Alyssa and Pikachu froze, their minds went blank. All the anger turned to shock, "What?" Alyssa's voice was quiet in the silent cemetery.

"We have a reason to believe that Ash is alive, and that whatever is in that grave isn't him."

Misty and Alyssa were speechless, what was there possibly to say after something like this.

"H-How do you know?" Misty asked unsurely.

Cynthia took a deep breath and began recounting the information that was taken from Team Rocket.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"One more time Espeon and we'll call it a day," 237 watched as the magenta cat took a battle stance and glared at the heavily panting Raticate in front of them, "Espeon use Distort!"

Espeons eye shimmered an aqua blue as it lift the normal type into the air, in the same action it opened its mouth and let out loud a high pitch screech which penetrated the Raticates eardrums without any trouble. The Raticate withered in pain, it was unable to hold its head as the sound rose higher in pitch until seemed to cut through the air like a knife, "End it."

In an instant, Raticate was sent hurling into a wall with a back shattering smash, and then fell to the ground unmoving. Espeon walked calmly over to 237 who bent down and rubbed her gently underneath the chin, "Excellent work that Psychic-Screech combination is powerful, let's get you something to eat and then we'll sleep alright?" Espeon nodded and rubbed affectionately up against his leg.

The duo left the battlefield and made their way down an empty hallway which led to the cafeteria. "Hey there sexy," A female voice behind him called out. He stopped in mid-stride and waited as he heard her footsteps grow closer to him.

He felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist and hot breath on his ear, "It's been awhile," She whispered seductively into his ear, he could smell her minty breath.

"Not long enough," He stated as he began making his way down the hall, leaving the girl by herself. He turned a corner and quickly stepped into a nook that hid him from sight. A few second passed and his hand shot out from cover and gripped the girl by the wrist who let out a startled gasp as he pulled her up against him, their faces inches apart.

She had long blond hair, violet eyes, a perky nose, and a bashful smile on her face. "I thought you were serious back there for a moment Shay,"

He leaned down and brought his lips to her ear, "Maybe I am," He whispered cockily, he laid his forehead gently down on the blonds and looked her in the eye.

Her hands snaked underneath his black shirt and ran gently across his abs, she leaned upwards and brought her mouth close to his, "Maybe I can change that for you?" She whispered suggestively, her lips brushed against his as they stared intently into each other's eyes.

Shay suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist while his other hand lifted her chin so that their lips met. She removed her hands from under his shirt and wrapped them around his neck, deepening the kiss. Shay spun her around and forced her up against the wall, before braking the kiss, and making his way up her jaw-line, and then to her neck.

She moaned once in pleasure, as Shay brought his mouth up once again to her ear, "I missed you Domino," He whispered huskily, sending a chill running down her spine.

She placed her hand on his chest and gently pushed him away, her heart hammered against her ribcage as she looked into his eyes, "And I you,"

Shay leaned in and placed a tender, yet passionate kiss on her lips. Letting them feel the warmth of each other's company. Reluctantly, he separated their lips and a rare smile graced his face, Domino stuck out her bottom lip in a pout but quickly embraced Shay and held him tightly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked softly, reciprocating the hug. His hand ran gently through her smooth hair, it was almost mesmerizing for him.

She looked up to meet his eyes, "I was told of your little… Incident,"

He scowled in disgust, "It's not my fault," He stated through grated teeth, "It's… It's those damned girls, and… And those bloody headaches."

Domino reached up and ran a hand through his unruly hair, "That's why I'm here, I don't blame you, and neither does the Boss. We'll be here for you, how long until your operation?"

"Just under two weeks, until then I have to keep using these," He reached for his right thigh where a bandolier of three needles lay at the ready, "Incase I get anymore headaches."

"How often do they come?"

He let out a frustrated sigh, "Every other day or so, I'm expecting one tomorrow. But for all I know it could happen in the next minute or so."

Domino took his hand and gave it a squeeze, "You'll be fine. I'm here for you, now and the moment your operation is complete."

"I know, it's just some of the… Things the voices say are strange. I even hear my own voice on occasion, I even heard yours on the day of the… Incident." This caught Dominos attention and a flicker of uncertainty flashed across her eyes, seemingly unnoticed by Shay.

"Really?" She asked timidly.

"Mhmm,"

"What did I say?"

He looked thoughtful, his eye brows furrowed in concentration. "It's a little hazy, but something about having two options about something. Not really sure, do you know anything about that?"

A thoughtful look crossed her face until she slowly shook her head, "No, I don't think I do," she gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry."

He waved it away, "It's fine," He placed an arm around her shoulder and they started down the hallway, "We're grabbing a light dinner then heading to bed, would you care to join us?" He offered politely.

She leaned up to his ear, "For which one?"

A smirk tugged at his lips, as he stopped walking and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Your choice," He growled out in a whisper.

Domino raised an eyebrow and gave him a once over, "I'll take a dinner, I'm not sure if I'll be up late tonight." She started back down the hall hips swaying teasingly, before she looked over her shoulder with a glimmer in her eye, "But we'll see."

With that she stalked off around a corner leaving Shay with a mischievous grin on his face. He looked down to Espeon who was waiting patiently, "Let's go Esp, she's not getting away that easily," He took off down the hall with Espeon in tow and disappeared around the corner.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misty, Alyssa, Pikachu and the Champions stood around the partially dug grave in silence. They had seen the pictures, heard the possibilities, and God they wanted it to be true. But what if it wasn't? What if they dug up his grave to only see his rotten corpse? It wasn't an image or thought they could live with.

But if it was true? Ash would be back, alive, they could be together again. And it seemed all to good to be true, they wanted to believe it.

"So do you want us to do this?" Lance stated seriously, they had just found out about the possibilities and they could no the truth in minutes.

Misty looked to Alyssa, the shock had yet to wear off for both of them. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. And then a thought came to her mind, what about Delia, its Ash, her son. If anyone was to have a say in this it would be he-

"Pi, pikachu Pikapi," Pikachu turned to Garchomp, "Chaka chupi pikachu," Garchomp nodded and leapt into the hole and began clawing at the dirt.

"Pikachu wait, what if this isn-"

"Pikachupi pikachu cha pika Pikapi!" Pikachu turned to the dig site and watched expressionless as dirt flew out of the hole.

"I suppose we have our answer," Steven muttered going over to stand beside the electric mouse; Alyssa and Misty stared at each other unsurely, before joining Steven and Pikachu in silence.

And object flew out of the hole and landed in the dirt pile, Cynthia walked over to it and picked it up, dusting of the dirt that coated it.

It was a burgundy and brown hat, but if it was washed the colors would surely be red and white. She looked up from the hat as the sound of wood being struck sounded from the hole. Lance stepped passed the wall of people and dropped into the two meter deep hole, "Break it open," He ordered the land shark Pokemon.

Its claw glowed white and it smashed through the casket with ease, Lance turned back to look at the girls, "You may not want to see this," He turned to Cynthia, "Data Pad?"

She nodded and reached into her pocket, and pulled out a thin touch screen device and handed it to the Dragon Master. Lance turned back to the casket, and with his free hand pulled removed the splintered wood and examined the corpse.

"What the... Steven, I think we have our answer…" He stated positively, his voice however carried a heavy amount of curiosity.

Steven came around and peered through the small hole in the casket and his face scrunched up in confusion, "Is… Is that human?" He asked unbelieving.

In the casket, were the remains of a body. The skin was dried and sucked into the skull, which they could now see was heavily deformed. The frontal lobe was pressed back, while the jaw hung protruding at an odd angle. Lance hesitantly placed a finger on one of the body's eyelids and pulled it back, he groaned and looked away as he saw the eye.

The eye was black and veins could be seen running across the lengths of the cornea, "Cynthia, get Anderson on the line and tell him to ready the attack. Then call in a transport to get… This thing out of here, scientists are going to tell us what the hell this thing is," He glanced once more at the disfigured form and shook his head, but before he climbed out of the hole, he entered something into the data pad and a small tray opened.

He let out a disgusted groan and pinched the cheek of the body for a piece of skin, which ripped off the body easily. He placed the flake of skin on the tray and shut it. Standing up he handed the data pad to Steven and climbed out of the hole, he looked over to the two girls who stood a few feet back.

Their faces were both pale as he walked over to them, "Is it…" Misty couldn't continue, her heart hammered against her chest in suspense.

"I can tell you that whatever is in that grave is not Ash," Alyssa and Misty clasped to the ground in disbelief, there was a chance that he was alive. It seemed far too good to be true, it… It seemed like a dream.

"Are… Are you going to…" Alyssa had tears running down her cheeks, he was alive, and if the Champions weren't going to get him out, then she damn well was.

"Yes, we're going to return to our headquarters and launch and assault. We're going to get him out of there, and then shut Team Rocket down once and for all."

"I-I'm coming with you!" Alyssa's voice was shaky, and just above a whisper, but there was nothing but hope in her voice.

"No, both of you are going back to his mothers and carry on with your lives. You'll see him again but not-"

"You take me with you, or I'll find your bloody headquarters myself. I've still got some access to Rocket databases and I'm sure it's got plenty of info on your base, so I'll find it."

"What about his mother? Are you going to leave her by herself?"

Alyssa hesitated, she couldn't leave Delia. She had given her a home, a place to live after Ash had supposedly died. She couldn't possibly just leave her on her own.

"Misty will-"

"If you go Alyssa I'm going." Misty said seriously, there was no way in hell she'd be left behind if a rescue attempt for Ash was going to be made. She needed to see him again.

"But what about Delia, you don't have the train-"

"She'll come with us; if there's a chance Ash is alive she'd say yes in a heartbeat to see him again."

"I'm afraid that you'll have to remain here, this is going to be a dangerous mission. It's guaranteed that we'll lose a few soldiers, and you're both civilians, to go into an operation like this you'd need to be able to hold your own incase a firefight brakes out. That means you may have to take someone's life."

"We'll wait at the headquarters, when you get back we can see him!" Alyssa retorted quickly, nothing was going to stop her from seeing Ash.

Cynthia and Steven had come over and joined Lance in the discussion. "It may actually be a good Idea Lance," Steven agreed seriously, "If we take them with us, we won't need to worry about any hostage situations. If the boy found out his mother, or one of the girls were kidnapped he'd go back to Team Rocket without hesitation to get them back."

Lance nodded thoughtfully, it was a good point. And not only having the girls and mother there keep him from wanting to leave, but it would stop the kid from returning to Team Rocket if a hostage situation actually occurred.

"Fine, but you'll have to do whatever you're ordered to do alright?"

They nodded, "Good and you'll ne-"

"Pikachu why you taking me here?" A voice called out in the distance.

Alyssa turned to Misty, "We're going to have some explaining to do,"

Misty let out a sigh, "Yup."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_I felt a searing pain in my back, groaning I brought my hand up to my head but stopped as something tugged at my skin. _What the hell? _My eyelids felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds, but painfully I peeled them open and winced as the dull light overhead blurred my vision._

_I brought my hand up to rub my eyes, but stopped at the familiar tug. Turning to see what was restraining me, confusion filled me as I saw tubes filled with liquid running from my arms into… "IV bags?" I muttered, "What the hell happened?"_

_Reaching over, I tore the tubes from my arms and was hit by a wave of nausea. I placed my hands on my head and groaned at the feeling, _what the hell happened? _The nausea passed and I turned to look to my right, I was startled to see… See…_ Her_ asleep right next to me._

_I opened my mouth and said her name, but why couldn't I hear it? How did I even know it? She startled a bit, making herself more comfortable. I said her name again, but once again I couldn't hear it, "Wake up,"_

_She groaned, seemingly in pain. Her head lifted a few centimeters off the bed, blond hair hung messily across her face, she was bruised, cut, and her blue eyes were blood shot, and tear stains ran down the course of her bruised cheeks. Making her look as if she had been in a fight quite recently._

_Her eyes met mine and for a second I saw confusion cross her face, but then it instantly turned to a mix of relief and joy, "Oh thank God you're awake-" Her mouth moved as she said my name, but I couldn't hear it, "I was so worried!" Her eyes started tearing up, and she took me into a tight hug, thankfully avoiding my back which hurt like crazy._

"_What happened?" I asked her softly, as I reciprocated the hug wearily. She was warm, and I was a bit disappointed when she pulled away. _

"_You don't remember?" She asked me worriedly, I shook my head. "I was on my way to your lesson when those Grunts grabbed me, they… Started beating me and then pulled a knife on me, but then you came in and stopped them," Her tone had a hint of admiration, and adoration in it, but I pressed on._

"_How did I end up here?"_

"_You came down the hall and when you saw that they had a knife against me, you tackled Tony off of and-"_

_The memories flooded back as if a dam broke and began filling my conscious with information... _

_I dove at him, knocking him over with a startled cry. But I ignored that, the rage with in me wanted to beat this guy into living hell, I slammed my fist into his jaw, followed by another, and another, and another. The fury I felt compelled me to break every bone in his fucking body; I was successful in shattering his jaw and nose. I went to throw another punch when a pair of hands griped my shirt from behind and hefted me up before driving a hard right into my gut._

_I gasped as the air was driven from my lungs, but quickly rebounded as I ducked a left and kicked out at the Grunts kneecap, shattering the bone and having him cry out in pain. The blond hoarsely told me to turn around, and when I did a hard right hit me square in the nose throwing me off balance._

_I fell against the wall; I could feel the hot blood running freely from my nose. Ignoring it, I stepped forward and swung a hard right into his gut successfully winding him, I drew back to deliver a blow to his temple when a warning cry from behind forced me to turn to the girl._

_As soon as my gave fell on her a searing pain cut across my back, followed by an arm wrapping itself around my neck. My back erupted into an intense searing pain as something was driven into it._

Shay awoke with a gasp, chest heaving heavily in and out. His forehead and shirt were drenched in sweat, his head ached painfully as he tore the sheets off of himself and stumbled out of bed.

"Shay?" A sleepy voice asked worriedly. He ignored her and pulled open a drawer, on his dresser. He reached in and removed a needle, removing the safety at the tip, he drove the needle into his arm and inject its contents into his system.

His vision blurred, and he fell against the wall lightheaded, unable to support himself. His eyes glazed over and his breathing became coarse. An arm found its way across his back, while another pulled him closer to her, "Are you alright?" She whispered worriedly, drawing back his bangs so she could see into his eyes.

For the first time in a long while she could see something that shocked her. He was frightened. "I… I felt it," His chest expanded and deflated as his breathing deepened.

"What did you feel?" She rubbed his arm soothingly, trying to calm his breathing.

"The… The knife, the pain… I felt it, I still feel it…" His voice came out in just above a whisper, his right hand shakily moving to his lower back.

Domino kissed him gently on the forehead, "It's alright, deep breaths… It was a bad dream… You'll be alright, let's get you back into bed okay?"

He nodded shakily, Domino supported him as he stood up trembling, she helped him over to the bed and covered him with the blanket. She went around the bed and slid herself underneath with him; she snuggled up next to him and put a gentle arm around him pulling him closer. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through him, "Take it easy, close your eyes and deep breaths," She whispered softly.

He did as told and closed his eyes, after a few minutes his breathing steadied and he was back asleep. Domino looked at him with concern, he was remembering. She'd get the full story tomorrow, but she couldn't help but be scared. Something freighted him, and that hadn't happened since he woke up after his first injection.

But now his memories were coming back stronger apparently, and quicker. And memories be damned, she was not losing him. She let out a quiet sigh and rested her head against his arm, pushing the thoughts of this aside; she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep. Her final thoughts being two weeks, two weeks until he, no _they_ wouldn't need to worry anymore.

* * *

_**Character Ages**_

Ash/Shay-19

Gary-19

Misty-19.5

Alyssa-20

Domino-22

Cynthia-27

Lance-31

Steven-33

Delia-45

Lt. Anderson-46

Giovanni-49

Prof. Oak-60

**Annd he's back! And with good news to, I passed Science, and I've planned out the entire story!**

**Now was this a good return chapter? I finished it at 1:28 AM, and I am rather proud. A lot happened this chapter and if you've got questions or any problems with what happened, feel free to review this chapter and I'll reply as soon as I can!  
**

**I'm going to say this now before I get ahead of myself, I won't be updating every Sunday, but I'll do my damnedest to meet the date. But what I'm going to do is alternate between story updates, so next Sunday I'll hopefully get a new chapter for A Guardians Princess up, and then the week afterwards I'll get a new chapter for this.  
**

**Please don't hate me for this decision, but I've been fairly busy lately. I'm also working on a new story, it's not Pokemon, but if you like the Halo series then you may enjoy what I'm working on. It won't be out for quite some time, but just a heads up.  
**

**There were some shaky moments in the writing this chapter, but overall I have to say that this was the best thing I have written yet. Especially the Ash and Domino bits.  
**

**Now if you could, could you please, please review, I'd really love a review from you guys because they really do make my day.  
**

**That's all for now, and until next update. _This is ThatOneDwarf Signing Off!_  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Run**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Delia fidgeted with her backpack nervously; she could not believe this was happening. Two hours ago, Pikachu had bolted through the front door of their house and started chatting to her wildly with wide eyes. She had asked him where Misty and Alyssa were, and he gestured for her to follow him before sprinting back out the door.

She had ran as fast as she possibly could until he reach Pallet Cemetery, she saw him sprint passed the destroyed gate and through all the tombstones. She called out to him and followed him over to Ashs grave, where her world turned upside down.

Misty, Alyssa, Pikachu, and the League Champions stood around Ashs dug up grave. Her heart beat furiously and she paled unable to form words. When she opened her mouth to say something, nothing came out, but Misty and Alyssa had taken her into a tight hug. When she came to terms that she was being hugged, she saw that both of the girls were grinning ecstatically.

She asked what was going on; their answer had all but made her faint. She fell back, unable to stand. Slowly she shook her head in denial, but then Lance had come over and spoke to her privately. He had showed her the remains in the grave, the pictures stolen from the Rocket facility, and she knew that it was true.

Ash was alive.

Now here they were on a private plane on their way to where ever the Pokemon G-Men base was located. The G-Men were going to launch a rescue mission for Ash once they arrived and bring him back to base. They'd remain there for a few weeks until Team Rocket had been shut down for good, and Ash was safe. Afterwards Ash, her and the girls would return to Pallet and decide on where to go from there.

She looked up from her thoughts as Lance came and sat across from her, "Mrs. Ketchum, there is something we need to discuss before we arrive at our headquarters,"

"Of course, I-I can't thank you enough for doing this Lance, this means the world to me," She said softly, but her voice was filled with gratitude.

He smiled at her and waved it away, "No need for thanks Mrs. Ketchum, we're just doing our job."

"I know, but still thank you so much,"

"It's no problem, but we need to discuss about when we get Ash out of the Rocket facility," He said seriously, "When we bring him back to base, you won't be able to see him right away,"

"H-How come?" She asked worriedly.

"One of the reasons we wanted to keep all of this away from you is because Ash may be different from when you last saw him."

Delia looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean, how is he going to be different?"

"Team Rocket has… Tampered with his memory, meaning we don't know if his personality is the same, or completely altered." He paused before continuing, "We need to speak with him privately before anyone else does to see what he remembers, what they've told him about anything that's happened within the last year could be far from the truth."

Delia sat silently, as she thought over what the Champion told her, "Okay…" She said in a weak voice, "Just don't hurt him."

"I promise we won't, with Ash back, we'll be able to end all of this permanently, once and for all."

Delia nodded silently, "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to sleep for the rest of the flight, it's been a long day."

"We've still got two hours before we arrive at HQ, we'll wake you when we arrive," Lance got up and gave her a small smile as she closed her eyes and repositioned herself to get comfortable. Her thoughts faded and soon she was fast asleep.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Domino stood in the communications center of the training facility; she faced a large monitor which flickered to life with an image of the Boss.

"Sir!" Domino snapped a salute to the head of Team Rocket.

"Domino," He said coolly, "How is he doing?"

"It's getting worse," As she said that his eyebrows scrunched up in anger, "Last night, he dreamed of something that happened at the Ecruteak Academy."

"What exactly was it about?"

"It was of the girl, when he was stabbed while protecting her. He told me he could actually feel the pain of where the knife cut and stabbed him… He looked frightened sir."

Giovanni changed his demeanor to calm, "Frightened you say?" He asked carefully.

"Yes sir, I saw it in his eyes. He was shaking and sweating, I haven't seen him like that since after he was first administered his first dosage."

Giovanni nodded slowly, "You're taking care of him?"

Domino nodded and a light blush crossed her face, "Yes sir, I'm keeping an eye on him."

Giovanni gazed at Domino carefully, "You've trained him well Domino, but are you sure you're not… Becoming too attached?"

"W-What do you mean sir?" She stuttered nervously.

Giovanni nodded thoughtfully, his calm demeanor turned to something of kindness, "I know you've developed… Feelings for the boy, but are you sure you want to do that?" He asked seriously, but not unkindly.

Domino turned her gaze away from the Boss, "What do you mean?"

"What happens if the boy's memory is completely wiped? There is still the probability of that happening, are you sure you want to care for someone who won't even remember how to walk, let alone speak?"

Domino was at a loss for words, she knew of the risk Ash was taking, or Shay as he was referred to by the Rockets. "You're our second best operative Domino, second only to Ketchum. I entrusted you with his training, and you fulfilled that mission months ago." He paused thoughtfully before he continued, "I like you Domino, and I don't want to see one of my top operatives go into depression over something as little as a… _Heartbreak_."

"I won't stop your personal affairs, but do realize this. If his operation is a success, you will always come second to his orders, do you understand?"

"Yes sir…" She said meekly not meeting his stern gaze.

"That means if he has the order to kill a target and you were his partner, he'd go for the kill before worrying about your well being. You could be bleeding out, and he'd leave you to fulfill his objective. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir…" Her voice was just above a whisper, "Is that all?" She added shakily.

Giovanni stared intently at the crushed young woman in front of him; it was for her own good to except the consequence before she put herself in too deeply for the boy. "That is all, keep an eye on the boy and keep me informed." With that the monitor went black and silence filled the Com Room.

Domino stared emotionlessly at the ground before turning on her heel and leaving the com room to look for Shay.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shay jogged steadily around an indoor oval running track, Espeon at his side. He'd been running for the past hour constantly, however it only felt like minutes as he was lost in his thoughts.

He couldn't get that bloody dream out of his mind, it felt… So real, he could feel the pain in his lower back as… His dream self was stabbed by the knife. And then there was that blond girl, she had said he was protecting her? Why would he do that if she had been one of the people tormenting him for the last few months?

Without warning, he broke out into a full on sprint and began pushing himself to his limit. He completed two laps before he doubled over in exhaustion, he lay sprawled out taking in deep breaths to try and still his rapidly beating heart.

Groaning he sat himself up and reached over to pet Espeons soft fur. As far back as he could remember, he had been given an Eevee when he started his training. It had evolved during a training battle with Domino early in the morning, about two months after he had gotten it.

"Come on Esp," He groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, "Lets hit the weights for a while and then we can work on your combos," The psychic type rubbed affectionately against his leg before starting off towards the glass door that led away from the track field.

Entering the gym, Shay gave a slight nod to the few who were present before heading over to the weights and readjusting them until the barbell weighed 220lb.

He lifted the barbell off of its holder and began doing curls, he grunted with effort, but it was fairly easy. _Have you told anyone?_ His eyes narrowed, it was far too soon for them to be starting up again.

_Would you, maybe want to dance?_ He winced as his head gave a slight ache; he quickly set the weight down and reached for one of the needles on his thigh. He swore as his hand passed through thin air where the needles were supposed to be. He had them on his jeans, not the shorts he currently wore.

"Come on Esp, we need to gra-Agh!" He fell to one knee as a sharp pain cut through his head, grunting angrily he got up and ran for the gym doors. He sprinted down the halls shoving Grunts out of the way as he headed for his room.

Turning a corner, he froze. Aqua blue dress, shoulder length orange hair, it was her. She stood at the other end of the hall, just staring at him. Tormenting him to come after her, he clenched his fist in and out as he thought of possible ways to take her down without her escaping.

His heart started hammering; he could feel his adrenaline beginning to spike. Reaching to his side, he swore as his hand passed over where his sidearm should have been.

_Are you alright?_

"Of course not!" He barked furiously, his head ached painfully and she was taunting him, like a wild Pokemon from the Farwind Mountains, that was in a cage who was being poked insistently by a bloody child. His outburst caused the Grunts around him to look at him cautiously.

He glanced down as Espeon rubbed against his leg, "Espeon do you see her?" His voice was just above a whisper, the magenta cat shook her head as she stared at her trainer with curiosity.

_Shay your back!_

He staggered back as if he'd been struck in shock, she had said his name. She _knew_ his name! "Who are you!" He roared in fury, he was furious. He couldn't run after her, because by the time he reached the end of the hall she'd be gone. She was _always_ gone. He was unarmed, except for Espeon who couldn't even see the damned girl.

His arms started trembling, his breathing became unsteady, and he could feel sweat trickling down his neck and into his shirt. His head felt like it was about to explode, he needed his medication but he couldn't let her escape.

He shut his eyes, using every ounce of strength to will his breathing to calm itself. It was a futile attempt, his adrenaline was hindering him from thinking rationally, denying him the ability to theorize an effective plan of attack.

He cried agonizingly as an intense pain tore through his chest, his legs gave out underneath him dropping him to the ground in a gasping, trembling heap. He watched as she appeared directly in front of him, her throat easily in reach, if only he could reach up and grasp it. He would relish in victory as he drove the oxygen from her lungs, watching in satisfaction as-

He cried out in agony as he felt something within his mind give way. He couldn't think, he couldn't move, all he could feel was a light sensation on his lips as the girl gently pressed hers to his.

His mind faded from existence and he fell into unconsciousness.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**[Forty Three Hours Later]**

The communications room of the G-Men Head Quarters was hustling with movement, coms relay workers moved from post to post as lines of text and videos displayed on the monitors in front a group of eight who stood tensely together.

Misty looked at the monitors apprehensively, one video especially. It was a helmet camera that was making its way through a thick brush that didn't seem to end. Muttering came from the video, she guessed by the wearer of the cam, to the other soldiers around him.

"Can you hear me Corporal?" Lance spoke to a monitor that displayed the same footage except for a roster of names to the side.

The video shook until a voice came through, "Loud and clear sir, Alpha, Echo and Delta Squads in position. We're just waiting on the go ahead from the inside, over."

Lance nodded thoughtfully; turning to Cynthia he raised his index and middle finger and made a guillotine swiping motion. In which she responded by typing rapidly into a computer before hitting enter.

She turned back to Lance and gave him a thumbs up, "Message has been issued to the inside Corporal, raise hell and Godspeed,"

"Acknowledged sir, stand by for the fireworks." The transmission silenced and all movement in the room stood still. All personal watched the main screen intently. It was an image of a large stadium-esk building that had its perimeter surrounded by a chain linked fence. There was a fifty foot distance from the fence that started the treeline of the surrounding forest which hid the G-Men Soldiers.

"Detonation in three, two… One!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Lay back down,"

"I'm fine Domino," Shay replied stubbornly.

The blond placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him roughly back down onto the cot, "Shay you've been unconscious for the past two days, you're not fine. So you're going to lay there and rest whether you like it or not!" She crossed her arms across her chest defiantly, daring him to say otherwise.

His eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, however he did not sit back up, "Hey Dom?" He asked softly.

Domino tilted her head slightly at his tone, "Yes Shayne?"

"I hate when you call me that," He grumbled, but he continued, "Why is all of this happening to me? I mean… The voices and those… Girls are there … Yet they're not."

Domino took his hand and sat on the edge of the cot, "I dunno Shay, I honestly don't know, it could be a sort of schizophrenia or mental disorder." Shay nodded slowly, he could hear the honesty in her voice. However it was lacking a certain quality in it, almost like sincerity. "But I've got good news," Her tone filled with happiness, however her expression showed worry.

He sat himself up in interest, "What do you mean?"

"I contacted Giovanni," She began, "I told him how I found you unconscious do to your… Problem and I managed to persuade him into having your operation moved to three days from now," She looked up from her lap and into his eyes, which instantly warmed her heart. The excitement in them was unmissable, the last time she had seen him like this was way back when Eevee had evolved into Espeon.

Shay leapt up from the cot, lifting the blond off by her waist and spun her in the air, in which she let out a squealed "SHAAAY!" He set her back onto the ground and took her by surprise by gently placing his lips to hers. The surprise quickly wore off as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, much to their delight.

In an instant however, that delight was taken away. The ground beneath them shook violently, tossing both of them to the ground as the sound of explosions rippled throughout the building.

"Are you alright?" Shay asked as he disorientedly got to his feet and went over to Domino.

She nodded and got to her feet, "Yeah, but what the hell was-" Before she finished, her answer came in the form of red emergency lights flaring on, and a siren blaring throughout the building.

"We are under attack; I repeat we are under attack! All personal report to East and Northern sectors to secure the breach!"

Shay looked to Domino with wide eyes, he opened his mouth to say something but stopped when she grabbed his wrist and ran out into the hallway. Grunts sprinted through the hallways shouting orders, removing pokeballs, and guns from their sides as they prepared to defend their base.

Domino used her free hand and gripped a passing Grunt by the collar, "What's going on?" She demanded furiously her glare dangerous.

"League Forces have breached the perimeters and are making their way towards the barracks and infirmary!" The Grunt replied hastily!

Domino swore under her breath, she may not have known exactly why the G-Men were attacking, but she had a pretty damn good idea of why. Her eyes drifted to Shays who were waiting for her orders. "Find a Squad and guard this hallway, set up a perimeter blocking the armory got it!" She barked at the Grunt seriously.

"Yes mam!" He snapped a salute as she released his collar and turned to Shay.

She met Shays gaze and saw the look of determination in his eyes, "Come with me!" She stated before starting off in a run in the opposite way of the other Grunts. The two ran through multiple hallways past Grunts who were ordering attacks, screaming, and the occasional gun shot.

They pulled to a stop outside of a metal door which read _armory_ that had a key card lock, Domino reached into her shirt and produced a card and inserted it into the lock. The red light flickered to green and the door slid apart, "Arm yourself," She ordered quickly as she ran over to a pile of duffel bags and began filling it with different supplies.

"Light or Heavy?" He asked stopping in front of the gun rack.

Domino stopped packing, and turned her head so she could meet his eye, "Mission attire," Shay stood stunned at the suggestion, this was a defense mission, which he'd preferably use Espeon and an assault rifle. But his mission attire was completely different.

Forgetting the guns completely, he ran over to a series of lockers and put in a combination. The lock came undone and Shay stripped off his shirt, socks, shoes, and shorts, so that he was only in his boxers. He removed a pair of black cargo jeans from the locker and quickly slipped them on.

He then took out a tight black tank-top, which was quickly covered by a modified bullet proof vest, which had sheaths sewn across the sides, front, and back. He took out a black dual holster and strapped it around his waist.

The final piece of clothing was a black baseball cap which he placed backwards on his head. He felt another explosion ripple above him as he returned to the gun rack. He removed two handguns and slipped them into their respective holsters. He then turned to the opposite wall where a large array of knives lay. He removed a wide assortment of throwing knives and combat knives and slid them into their assigned sheaths, before taking a glance at Domino who was doing up the duffel bag and turning towards him.

"Domino wha-"

Domino silenced him, "Listen to me. You will do as I order do you understand!" He nodded in acknowledgment. She placed the duffel bag into his arms and handed him her key card, "You don't have much time, go through the back and use the key to get through the fence. You run dammit, you run an-"

"I'm not running!" He shouted incredulously, "Why wou-"

"Dammit Shay listen to me, you run and you don't stop. Not for anyone but me _or_ Giovanni understand!"

"But wh-"

"This attack is about you dammit, they know you're going to become our top agent and they want you dead. You need to get out of here before we can't hold them off anymore! Run and don't stop!"

Shay stood silently, as he took Domino's words to heart; slowly his head began to move up and down in agreement, "Alright," He slowly began to back away towards a sealed off door, "Don't do anything crazy do you understand me? Don't you dare get yourself killed!"

Domino nodded and turned to leave when she froze; turning back she ran over to him and brought his lips down upon hers, while placing an object into his hand. She broke the kiss and whispered, "It's the last one, only use it in an emergency,"

Shay looked into his hand and saw a lone needle. He placed it securely onto a pocket on his thigh before placing a final kiss on the top of the blonds head, "Be safe," With that he turned away, duffel bag slung across his back, and left the armory.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shay removed a hand gun from his side and switched off the safety, he had his orders dammit, and he was going to follow through on them. His life depended on it.

The corridor he ran down was devoid of any light except for the feint red at the other end which signified the exit. He felt the ground rumble under his feet as something collapsed or exploded. He stopped in front of the exit and slid the key card into the lock. Pulling the card out the red like blinked green, and with a final breath he pushed open the door gun at the ready.

It was night, ten maybe eleven o clock. The sky had a dark grey hue due to thick clouds and the light from the crescent moon. The air smelled heavily of smoke, ash, and destruction. Cries of pain, human and Pokemon cried out from all around him. Not wasting anytime he broke out in a sprint for the surrounding fence. In the midst of the fighting around him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as he ran from the Rocket Training Facility. Tossing the thoughts aside he began scrambling up the fence when a shout from behind alerted him.

Leaping from the top of the fence to the other end, he spun around and raised his gun towards the fence. Three men were shouting wildly at him as they ran towards him arms in the air waving for him to slow down. Even without Domino's advice, it was odd that they would be trying to alert him.

He fired off three air shattering shots which dropped each of his pursuers, one of which was crying out in agony on the ground. Without another glance, he continued at a sprint for the nearing treeline. Thumbing the safety on, he slid the handgun into its holster and removed a large knife from his vest as well as a smaller throwing knife.

He shifted the weight on his back so that it was more comfortable; he slowed out of the sprint and began at a cautious pace. In the distance gunfire and shouting could be heard fading with every step. Minutes passed and the world around him was silent, no sounds could be heard from the Rocket base, the smell of smoke and ash could no longer be smelt.

His eyes darted through the thick brush, looking for a slight trace of movement that would alert him to the League Forces. His heart nearly stopped as a _snap_ sounded under foot, his gaze glared downwards at the twig he had stepped on.

He breathed deeply as he calmed his heart. The silence was bothersome, there should be the sound of shouting, cries of agony, explosions, something! But there were none. And that did little to ease him.

"ASH KETCHUM STAND-" It was only half a second before the voice was silenced by a knife burying itself in his chest. Shay broke out into a sprint, removing another throwing knife from his chest he continued running, ducking, leaping, to escape his pursuers.

As soon as the voice came out, he had whipped around and thrown the knife knowing it would be a fatal throw. He now heard shouts of him being seen, him being near by.

Something whizzed by his shoulder, and drove itself into a nearby tree. It only took a few seconds to realize it was a dart of some sort. _Tranquilizers_. He thought instantly. He thought of what Domino said, they wanted him dead. But first they wanted answers, bring him back for questioning and then kill him.

"KETCHUM WE MEAN YOU NO-" A glimmer of silver in the moonlight imbedded itself in the caller's chest, dropping him to the forest floor. There was no way in hell was he stopping. And why did they call him Ketchum?

He spotted a clearing up ahead; he was rational enough to understand that if he kept running they'd eventually catch him due to a stumble, dead end, or fatigue. So he was going to alter Domino's plan slightly.

He sprinted into the center of the circular clearing and removed the duffel bag from his back, dropping it onto the ground. He crouched down and unzipped the bag examining its contents. Clothes, ammo, dried rations; a pokeball which he knew was Espeons, tarp, rope and first aid supplies.

He removed two extended clips, removed the two side arms from his side and placed both clips into individual holsters. Standing up, he clicked the safeties off both side arms and waited. It was feint, but the sounds of rustling bushes, the crunch of dried leaves, silent mutterings between his attackers.

"Ash Ketchum, this is Corporal Simmons of the Pokemon G-Men Special Forces. We are here to return you to your family, drop your weapons and place your hands above your head!" Shay was utterly confused by this statement. _Return… To his family?_ What the hell is this some sort of joke? He had no family. Other than Giovanni, Domino, and Espeon, there was nobody else.

However he took a chance and lowered his weapons, he dropped them onto the ground with a muffled thud. "Place your hands above your head!" The _Corporal_ ordered. He complied, and raised his hands in the air in surrender.

In an instant footsteps from all around him crashed through the forest and into the clearing. He was surrounded. A middle aged man dressed in camouflage with a camera on his helmet stepped forward and lowered his gun as he took in the sight of Shay, he let out a chuckle, "Dressed for a war are yah?" He asked gesturing to the array of knives across his body, and the two handguns on the ground.

No reply.

The Corporal took another step forward, "We're here to take you out of this hell hole son,"

Again no reply, "Your vocal cords messed or something?" Shay's face was expressionless, his hands still raised above his head. Simmons removed a hand held radio from his belt and spoke into it, "We've got him Sir, you reading this?"

Shay remained impassive as he watched the corporal communicate to his superior. Now Shay was not an idiot, but his curiosity was beginning to get a hold of him. They thought he was someone else, this _Ash Ketchum_. Two things ran through his mind, one being to act on his first plan of die in a firefight, or his second plan which was to be this _Ketchum_ boy and get access to G-Men files and locations.

A voice came over through the radio, "Ash, this is Lance of the Elite Four. If you hear me respond."

Simmons tossed the radio to Shay who brought his hand down fast enough to catch it. Slowly he brought the radio to his mouth, "I'm afraid you've made a mistake,"

There was no response from the radio, "Corporal take him in," Shay dropped the radio and glanced at Simmons who had begun advancing on him, the other soldiers around him following his lead.

Simmons took out a pair of hand cuffs, "Place your hands behind your back son," Shay stood unmoving as the Corporal reached forward to take his wrist.

As soon as he felt the Corporals gloved hand brush against his skin, he went on the offensive. In one fluid motion, his hand snatched a knife from his chest and cut it across the corporals throat. In the same action he brought the same hand back and through the knife into a startled soldier.

He dropped down as the air above him lit up with passing tranquilizers, he reached beside him and grabbed a hand gun and opened fire.

He fired off six shots before a sharp pain took him in the shoulder. His mind went foggy, but he kept firing blindly until the gun seemed to become a hundred times heavier and the continuous sound of _chink, chink, chink,_ signified the empty clip.

His eyes shut and his body seemed to shut down. Something flipped him onto his stomach, and he heard a few words before drifting off into sleep.

"Ketchum is detained… Seven KIA on our end, bringing him in for interrogation."

* * *

**I need a bit of help here everybody. I need help/tips on writing more emotion into the story. I mean right now I'm not very descriptive with the emotions of Ash, Delia, Lance, etc. I'm trying, but I'm not very good. So any advice would be fantastic.  
**

**This chapter was iffy in the writing I know, but my sleeping pattern is pretty horrible right now so it's hard to concentrate on one task at a time without getting bored and tired.  
**

**The end of this chapter wasn't great, but it was the only way I could come up with Ash getting captured.  
**

**Well if you could all please review this chapter with your thoughts, and if you have advice for writing emotion throw that in there as well. I love getting your reviews, they make my day and they really do help me with writing the next chapter due to the input from the last.  
**

**Well thanks again everybody for reading, and with that...  
**

**_This is ThatOneDwarf Signing Off!_  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Confusion**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash sat ominously still as he waited for his captors to begin their interrogation. His hands were hand cuffed to the table in front of him, enabling him from leaving. _Well not really, _he thought humorously. If he really wanted to he could be out of the cuffs in thirty seconds or less.

He'd been sitting alone in the interrogation room for over two hours and he was beginning to get annoyed. He'd rather that they kill him right now, instead of just making him wait for two hours until they showed up and started his questioning. Where his reply would be a simple _go fuck yourself._

He wondered what Domino was up to. Was she still alive? Was she coming to get him? Does she even know what happened to him? _Probably_. And what about his medication, those… Voices, and girls were coming more frequently and the only way to get rid of them were his shots until his operation once he got out of there.

He wanted to frown as he thought of those two damned girls, but he kept his poker face. They were pissing him off to no end, and confusing him terribly. Firstly that bloody blond girl had talked to him about killing Dom, how she'd do it herself if the time came for it. Or how that apparently he and her were going to _infiltrate _a Rocket warehouse, break out pokemon, and steal high priority information.

And only recently, _he _had protected her! Why in God's name would he do that if she'd been causing him pain and threatening the closet people he had to as family?

But she wasn't as bad as that damn girl in the blue dress. His hands clenched and unclenched as he thought of the girl that tormented him at any chance she got. She insults him, hurts him, and teases him like some sort of animal! She _always_ gets away when he goes after her, "Always!" He whispered bitterly, his eyes flickered with anger.

The worst part of it all was that he was the only one who could see them or hear them. Was he really schizophrenic, or was it because of a case of dementia? What Domino had told him had made sense, but… It all seemed more than that. As if he'd… Done the things he'd seen and heard. It would certainly explain some of his scars and burns.

Did Dom know how he had gotten his scars? It would certainly make sense since she was the one who rescued him from being killed in Hoenn.

His eyebrows furrowed in thought, he had apparently been on a recovery assignment in Devon Corps for some prototype DNA extractor being funded by Silph Co. He'd been in the sub levels of the building when the alarm went off.

He had gone into one of the manufacturing departments and secured the prototype, quickly making a run for the higher levels. He'd been shot while making the escape, he had fallen into a coma due to blood loss, and finally when he had woken up, it had been a month later and he couldn't remember a thing.

Until Giovanni had informed him of his place in Team Rocket, which was as a top operative. He couldn't remember his training or anything that had happened, so Domino was assigned to be his trainer. It had only taken three months to relearn everything he had forgotten, fighting, shooting, tactics, tracking, the list goes on. During those three months he and Domino had grown close, he had saved her a surprisingly amount during some of their live training assignments.

The following months were when the voices, started. Slow at first, usually just a short sentence, before leaving for over a month. And then it turned to headaches, and really vivid dreams. And then finally over the past six months it had become those girls and voices showing up and tormenting him.

But what had happened with that dream recently… That was something else entirely. He had lived that, he was damned sure of it. Was it something that had happened before the Devon Corp assignment? Or was it simply a dream… A very real, very painful dream…

He remained still as the door to the room opened. In walked who he knew as champions of each region, Cynthia, Lance, and Steven. His eyes never glanced to them, as they entered. He could feel their gaze on him, it wasn't a cold stare, it was of… Curiosity?

Lance looked to the others and then back to the still boy in front of them. He was stripped down to his tank top and boxers to be certain of no weapons or tracking devices on his person.

Cynthia went around and sat down in front of him, she looked him right in the eye, but he didn't seem to notice. He stared straight through her as if she wasn't there.

His face was coated with dirt, his hair was matted down with sweat, and his eyes were distant. She looked away for a split second to Lance who gave a just noticeable nod.

"What is your name?" She asked softy. He did not move, he did not blink, he just sat there with his far off gaze.

She nodded silently, "You know, it's been along time since we've last seen each other," She stated quietly, "Do you know who I am?"

There was once again no answer, however his eyes shifted to hers and held them in an immoveable glare, she laughed softly, "I'll take that as a yes, what about these two?" She gestured to the two standing by the door.

Once again there was no answer, "Do know what year it i-"

"What is it you want?" Ash asked coldly, "These are very shitty mind games you are playing."

Cynthia was silent as she came up with a response, "We want to know what you remember," She stated authoritatively, her quiet persona disappearing.

"Well _Champion,_" He sneered, "You might as well kill me now, because you aren't getting shit for information from me."

Cynthia glanced to Lance who tilted his head to the door, "I'll be back in a minute," She stated getting up from her seat and following Steven and Lance out the door.

"He thinks we are going to kill him," Steven stated obviously.

Lance looked through the one way window at the lone figure in the room, "What do we know about him?" He asked, "About his recent time with Team Rocket?"

"He's been there for one year," Cynthia began quickly, "His memory has been tampered with, he's been given a large supply of that one drug, and that he is trained to be their top operative,"

"Where are his belongings?"

"They're being searched through in security,"

"I'll go search through his things and comeback if I find anything," Steven said turning away from the Champions and down the hallway.

"We could try his family; see if they have any impact on him?" Cynthia suggested seriously.

"No not yet, let's go back in there and see what we can get out of him," The blond shrugged but complied and followed Lance back into the room.

She sat down in front of Ash and regained his attention. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"No don't speak," He stated as if she was a child, "If anyone here is going to be asking questions it is going to be me understand?"

Cynthia smirked and leaned back in her chair, "Oh and tell me why that is?"

"That's on a need to know basis, now where am I? Kanto? Or maybe Hoenn, Sinnoh even?"

She shook her head, "Kanto," She leaned forward her eyes cold, "Do you know what happened in Kanto one year ago?"

He smirked, "You may scare lowlife Grunts and criminals with that pretty little glare of yours, but I've gone to hell and back and it will take a lot more than that to intimidate me,"

"Define _hell_ for me,"

"Take off my tank top and that'll be your answer," He answered coldly, the challenge was evident in his voice. Daring her to come near him.

Her grey eyes roamed over his arms and chest, small scars lined his arms, and she could make out a faded scar on his collar bone running underneath his shirt.

"Very well," Her eyes never left his as she got up and went behind him. She grabbed the back collar of his top and tore it down the back, exposing his old wounds.

She stepped back as she saw them, a massive scar ran diagonally across his back, crossing down the center of that was what looked to be where a claw carved down his spine. There were small silvery scars where what would be fragments impacted his body cutting up his flesh. His lower back had a dark scar that looked to have come from a blade that was driven into his back.

"My chest is worse, a nasty cut from my shoulder to just across the bottom of my sternum, I've got scars from being clawed, bitten, shot, an-"

"Shot?" Lance spoke quickly before he could continue.

Ashs gaze snapped to the Kanto champion as Cynthia sat back down in front of him, "Do you have shit in your ears? Yes shot," He turned back to Cynthia who was eying him with… Was that _pity?_ "Don't give me that damned look girl," He snapped coldly.

"How many times have you been shot?" Lance spoke again.

He didn't remove his gaze from Cynthia's as she looked on him with sadness, "To many times to count, I should be dead but I'm not."

"What's your name?" She asked softly. How could he have survived for so long? His body was torn up, he couldn't remember his past, he had so much potential, but now… It was impossible to look at him as the boy she had known all those years ago.

He scowled, "Stop looking at me like I'm some sort of dying orphan and maybe I'll tell you."

Cynthia forced herself to harden her gaze, which took a lot out of her, "Thank you." He lapsed back into silence.

"What is your name?"

"I said I might tell you not that I was," With that he leaned back into his chair and shut his eyes, "May as well kill me now, you aren't getting shit from me."

Cynthia and Lance met each others looks, he gestured for her to leave and come with him. Leaving, they shut the door and she shuddered in disbelief, "God Lance how is he alive?" She whispered shock.

All he could do was shrug, "Beats the hell out of me, those scars…" He trailed off unsure of how to continue. He looked through the window to Ash who was still leaning back in his chair, "We should try his family… I honestly don't know Cynth, he may be too far gone to save."

The Sinnoh Champion nodded, "Alright, let's go get them."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Delia, Misty, Alyssa, and Pikachu walked nervously behind Cynthia. They had seen the helicopter arrive a few hours ago, and the limp figure being carried out of the back hatch. But that was it. Now however… They were actually going to see Ash.

Cynthia had told them when she came to get them, that he wasn't the same as one year ago. They could tell in her voice that she was slightly worried, so they were on their way to try and get through to him.

They looked to their left as a window came up, peering inside, they gasped as they saw the raven haired boy leaning back without his eyes open.

"It's him…" Alyssa whispered in disbelief, she could see new scars on his chest and arms. He still supported the six pack she remembered as well as his toned arms. She wanted to burst through that door and take him into a hug and never let him go, but she knew she couldn't do that. It could be dangerous, no, it _would_, be dangerous.

Misty brought her hand up to the glass and felt tears well up into her eyes; sitting in the room in front of her was the boy she loved. The one she thought dead, the one she felt she betrayed.

"We can't send you all in at once, we need to do this slowly. To see how he reacts to each of you, if he reacts at all," Cynthia stated seriously.

"Pika pikachu Pikapi!" Pikachu leapt at the door handle and brought it down before forcing the door open.

Ash opened his eyes as the door opened, but did not move. He watched curiously as a Pikachu walked on his hind legs up to the table before jumping onto it as the door shut behind it.

He glared at it as it looked him over; it sniffed the air taking in his scent. "Pikapi chu?" It asked cocking its head to the side.

He blinked in surprise, "Excuse me rodent?" Had he just… Understood what it had said.

"Chu pika pikachu pi kaka," Pikachu stated sitting down on the table.

Ash didn't know what to do; he just sat there blinking in confusion.

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, he eyed the mouse before trying again, "What do you want rodent?"

Again Pikachu replied and he understood it perfectly, he stopped leaning and moved closer to the mouse, "How can I understand you, is there some… Psychic type transmitting your words into my mind, is this some sort of mind game?"

Pikachu shook his head, "Pika chukka pi cha Pikachu,"

"Listen rodent, leave now and I may let you live when I get out of here. I'll be damned if this is that bloody schizophrenia again," He took a sincere moment to look around, he was alone in a room, with a light dangling from the sealing, with a Pikachu he could understand.

He swore explosively as he realized those bloody headaches were going to start, "Listen Rodent!" He growled angrily, "I'll be damned if this isn't another one of those… Fucking headaches or like when one of those damned girls show up. I am telling you now," He took a second to calm his anger, which was surprisingly easily in a situation like this, "Leave now before I snap you in half like a toothpick, I have killed things a thousand times worse then you. So I recommend you leave!"

Pikachu stepped back looking Ash up and down. He didn't understand some of the words he had used, or some of the reasons for his hostility, but this was Ash. And he was confused, Misty, Alyssa, and the Champions had said his memory was erased. But Pokemon know better than humans, their sense are more attuned to emotions. And Ash was only terribly confused.

Pikachu hopped off the table and started for the door, "First bloody time they listened," He heard his trainer whisper. Stopping he turned around and looked him in the eye, "What rodent?"

Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity, Ashs eyes narrowed from behind his bangs, "Don't even think about it rodent," He growled seriously.

Ash shut his eyes as he saw electricity engulf the mouse and then arc towards him; he cringed as the attack hit him. It was a powerful attack, but he barely felt it, opening his eyes he saw the Pikachu looking at him expectantly.

_Pikachu thundershock!_

He winced as his voice rang through his ears; he gripped his hair as a battle field flashed in front of his eyes, the Pikachu standing ready for battle in front of him facing a Poliwrath.

Pikachu watched his masters pained expression; it wasn't the pain from the attack. It was the pain from his confusion.

"Mouse!" Ash barked angrily, standing up from his seat, "Get me one of those Champions now or I will snap your fucking neck!" Pikachu heard it was a sincere threat and quickly ran to the door and knocked on it.

Immediately it was swung open and Pikachu rushed out of the room leaving Ash alone glaring around the room.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The hall was silent at what they had just witnessed; the Champions hadn't been able to get a single piece of information from him. But Pikachu without any trouble had gotten more in fifteen minutes then they had in half an hour.

"Delia is Ash schizophrenic?" Lance questioned curiously.

She shook her head in shocked silence, how could her baby say that to Pikachu. Threaten him like that, that wasn't her Ash.

"What do we do now?" Misty whispered uncertainly.

"He wants to see one of us, so instead we'll send another one of you in," Cynthia turned to Delia, "Delia do you wan-"

She shook her head, "I want to… But I-I can't not yet… That's not my Ash," She whispered.

Cynthia nodded her understanding, "Misty Alyssa?"

They looked at each other uncertainly before looking into the room. Ash sat with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands, "Can we go together?"

"Do it, just do not touch him. Talk to him and if he tries to get violent we'll let you out right away,"

The girls nodded and hesitantly opened the door, stepping into the room they stayed silent as they watched the boy they loved.

He heard the door open, but didn't bother looking up. That Pikachu had told the truth. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. They'd known each other before…

"Where are my belongings," He asked his voice sharp and like ice.

There wasn't an answer, "Are you deaf? I asked where my belongings are, there is something I need!"

Frustration built up as he didn't receive an answer, looking up from his hands the cold look on his face was instantly dispelled.

They were both there. The blond stared at him with worry, she no longer wore the… _Rocket uniform?_ But now a green tank top, white jeans, and Green Beret.

While the red head no longer wore the blue dress, but now a pair of blue jeans, and teal t-shirt.

His heart beat began picking up. Not now, not both of them. They were silent, as he stared at them with a look of disbelief.

"A-Ash?" Misty asked hesitantly, he was surprised, or shocked or some mixed emotion. Was it for the good or not she didn't know.

His fists clenched underneath the table as his jaw set in a firm line, "Don't play dumb with me," He whispered.

She stepped back uncertainly, "W-What do you mean?"

The shock was erased and quickly turned to anger, "That's not my name and you know it. Don't! Just…" His adrenaline started pumping making his thinking less rational.

"Wha-What is your name?"

He slammed his hand down on the table standing up, "Don't lie to me, you fucking know it! You called me it before you kissed me!" He roared his voice was thick with anger.

"Shay?" Alyssa whispered her eyebrows furrowing in uncertainty.

His eyes snapped away from Misty and to the blond, "Do you still plan on killing her!" He asked harshly.

"Who?"

"You know who dammit, and then let me guess Giovanni, and then me or or or… ARGH!" He slammed both hands down on the table in rage, his arms trembling and his breathing becoming uneasy.

He shut his eyes and willed away the two girls. His breathing started slowing, it was easier than it had ever been before. Slowly he raised his head and opened his eyes and grinded his teeth together seeing the girls still there.

"Shay?" Misty started worriedly.

His lip twitched as he fought himself on whether to speak or not. If he could get out of these damn cuffs he'd have them dead in second. But in his current state he'd take too long and they'd be gone, again.

"What!" He spat.

"Do you remember my name?"

"No…" This was a new occurrence, not once had either of them said their names. He had said them, but he couldn't remember them.

"I-It's Misty… Misty Waterflower,"

He looked down at the table searching for that small flicker of remembrance in his memory. "What are you?"

"Your…" She stopped herself from saying girlfriend, "Friend… I'm the Gym Leader of-"

"Cerulean…" He breathed. _How did I know that?_

He looked up and saw her with a sliver of a smile at his words, and to see a lone tear run down her cheek, "Yes, of Cerulean…"

He turned to the blond, "Your name?" He asked as calmly as possible.

"Alyssa… Alyssa Cloud," She watched as he mouthed her name silently to himself.

"Come…" He stopped to take a deep breath, "Come here," He ordered.

Alyssa stared at Ash uncertainly. As much as her gut told her to not go over, she knew she had to. She trusted him with her life, even though he couldn't remember her.

Slowly she approached him; Misty touched her arm gently shaking her head. They were told to not touch him In case he got violent.

"I stopped…" He shut his eyes and thought hard, "Tony… From hurting you," He opened his eyes and saw mixed emotions in her eyes, "Is that correct?"

She nodded not trusting her voice, "Which scars did I get from doing that?"

She tried to speak but no words got out, swallowing nervously, she raised a hand and gently ran a finger over the large scar running diagonally across his back, and then the scar lower on the right. He remained still as she removed her hand from his back, "Is that it?"

She shook her head, hesitantly she brought her hand up to his bottom lip, "Y-You can't see it… But, it's there," She breathed. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, she wanted to hold him so badly, he remembered, maybe not everything… But he still remembers his past.

He watched as she reluctantly pulled her hand away from him, "Leave," He stated. It wasn't a question, it was an order.

The two girls nodded and left without another word. His eyes followed them as the door was opened and shut behind them.

Sitting back down, with his elbows on the table, Ash brought his hands up to his face like he was praying and took a shaky breath.

_What the hell just happened?_

* * *

**This chapter was originally supposed to be around 7-10K words, but I ran into an issue. I'm having an issue writing Mistys character due to Alyssa's presence.  
**

**Reason: Misty wasn't there for the Training Ash had gone through back in ARFA. And now that's coming back to haunt me because its far easier to write Alyssa's character interacting with Ash then Misty.  
**

**And I really don't want to change this from a pokeshipping story. **

**Reason: What I've got planned is pretty damn good, and to make this Ash/Alyssa I'd have to do a _major_ overhaul of the story. And the fic after I finish this and A Guardians Princess, is going to be an Ash/Alyssa fic. Which I'll talk about later on.  
**

**Now I'm sure you've noticed the decline in updates for this story, and I'm sorry. It's not that I'm lacking time, it's that I'm lacking the motivation to write it. I'm not saying this as in**_ I'm going to stop writing_, **I have no plans on doing that. This is getting done till the end. It's just I don't have that push to get the chapters out on time. And I hate that. The same thing happened with A Guardians Princess, I started the chapter and then I sat there for a second before saving and closing it for the reason of just not wanting to.**

**I still love writing don't get me wrong, it's just I don't have that extra push to keep pump-in them out like I did in the beginning with A Rise from Ashes.  
**

**Anyways, sorry about that rant, I just thought all of you should know that.  
**

**So if you could give me some feed back on how this Chapter went, and which pairing you'd like, and OH!  
**

**Yes the Ash/Alyssa fic I've got planned is going to be... Kind of similar to this. It's an Ash runaway story, and that's all I'm going to say for now.  
**

**Oh and finally I've slowly begun looking through the chapters of ARFA and started tidying them up, so proper grammar, spelling mistakes, and fluency. So in the future I may upload a cleaned up version of the story. Not a fully rewritten version. Just a heads up.  
**

**Now back on topic, Which pairing you'd like for this story, thoughts on the chapter, should I bump up the rating to M for safety, and anything else in general that you've got to say.  
**

**That's all for now, see you guys later!  
**

_Peace_**_!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He was far calmer then he should have been at that moment. Ash lay contently on a bed tossing a tennis ball he had swiped off one of the younger officers in a mesmerising up down, up and down motion.

The champions had moved him to his quarters in the base and had promptly left him alone, except for returning with a change of clothes which he had hastily put on.

He seemed relaxed, uncaring of the room around him, which was nothing more than a bed and an empty dresser. But on the inside he was clawing away at the recent events that had transpired.

He could understand a Pokemon as if it was speaking English, the two girls whose names he now knew were Misty Waterflower and Alyssa Cloud were within the same building as him, and he knew things that he shouldn't have known.

_Or should he have?_

The ball came down again, catching it he flicked his wrist and the ball soared up above his head before plummeting back into his grasp before repeating the action.

Sinnoh Champion Cynthia Shirona had spoken of a previous meeting between him and her in the past. But he couldn't remember it. But then again he couldn't remember anything from before he had woken up after the Devon Corp assignment.

Well except for these… His eyebrows furrowed as he thought of the correct word. Those… Those… Memory fragments? It could be possible. He was a realist and it would make sense, even though he wasn't all together sure what sense he was trying to understand.

He caught the ball, but did not send it into the air again. What if he _had_ lived those moments before, heard those voices, felt the pain, and seen those people? Had he been lied to? No… Domino would have told him… Or would she have?

He sent the ball back into it's up and down cycle. She had been truthful with him. She had shown him how to protect himself, how to fight, how to manipulate. She had been his friend. Had she? She seemed honest with her actions towards him, at first not so much. But afterwards, yes.

His eyes flickered with uncertainty as he recalled her telling him she didn't know what was wrong with him. He had heard the sliver of falsehood in her answer, as well as the glimmer of a lie in her eye. He was trained to tell when people lied to him, or when they tried to sneak something past him unnoticed.

He caught the ball and examined the light green sphere with white lines running along it. There were still a few uncertainties he had left in his thoughts, but he'd leave those for later.

Sitting up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He eyed the door in the room with curiosity; they had locked him in when he had first been placed in the room. Going up to the door he gripped the knob and twisted.

The door opened.

Hadn't they locked him in? He was a member of Team Rocket who could kill everyone in the building if he wanted to before they even found out he had escaped. They captured him so they could kill him. But they had basically left him to choose his own path.

Either the G-Men had some trust that he wouldn't run or kill, or their security was absolutely terrible. He went with the former, something was not right and he wasn't sure if he liked it.

He started off down the hall in a walk, garnering stares with each step he took. They made no move to stop him though, but they kept their distance. He turned a corner, reading the engravings above each door, he passed the cafeteria, drill rooms, com-center, pretty much every room the Rocket Training facility had until he found his way to the door engraved with _Command Center_.

He brought on an emotionless expression, he wasn't sure why, but he knew they were in there. Pushing the door open, the room silenced as their gaze set on him.

The Champions, the two girls, the rodent, and a woman with brown hair stood in a semi-circle around a map.

"Ash," Cynthia greeted kindly.

He was thrown off by her greeting but replied, "That is not my name Champion,"

There was a tense pause before she responded, "It's Shay then I suppose?" He grunted in acknowledgement. "What can we do for you?"

He was taken aback by her easy going approach, "I'd like to know when we last met,"

He saw the flash of surprise cross her face at the remark, but she rebounded quickly, "Our last face to face meeting was years ago, when you, Brock and Dawn helped put an end to Team Galactic's plot,"

She paused looking for a sliver of emotion to escape him, but he didn't let on. "I don't remember," He stated finally.

"What about at the Sinnoh League?" She asked curiously.

"The Sinnoh League?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, "That's when this all began,"

"When what began?"

She waved him over, "Stop standing over there all by yourself and come over here, we don't bite," She saw the hesitation in his eyes, "Either come over here or go back to your room. You're smart enough to realize something is up and you've come here for answers. And we will answer your questions but for us to do that you need to_ trust_ us,"

No one said a word as they watched the raven haired boy fight an internal debate. But slowly he inched forward tensing with each step until he stood on the opposite side of the table away from the others.

"Now what began at the Sinnoh League?" He finally asked.

Cynthia nodded to Lance, a sign for him to start, "Six years ago you _won_ the Sinnoh League," He saw the denial on Ashs face as soon as he finished the sentence, "You don't believe it,"

Ash nodded, Lance turned to Steven and gestured to the folder he carried. Steven produced a double folded paper before handing it over to the boy. Hesitantly he took it, not removing his gaze from those around him until it was unfolded.

It was a newspaper, with the headline _Tournament Terror._ The group watched as his auburn eyes scanned the page; they saw him stop at one part and mouth _Ash Ketchum_ silently before continuing reading.

"The League was attacked during the award ceremony, many injuries, few deaths. One being yours, or so we all thought."

He didn't answer right away, "The winner of the League was Ash Ketchum, that is not my name,"

Lances expression hardened, "And what is your name?"

"Shayne,"

"Shayne _what?"_

Ash opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't have the answer. "Flasoda," Came a quiet voice to his left. His gaze fell on the blond girl, "Your alternate identity was Shay Flasoda,"

He stared at her, not in anger, but in curiosity. The name sounded familiar, that much was true. But how did she know?

"How do you kno-"

_What's your name boy?_

The group saw his eyes narrow and his body tense.

_My uh, my uh name is… Shay…_

There was a pause, _Shay what?_ There was another pause followed by what seemed like a slurping sound.

_Fluuhssota…_

_Say that again son._

_Flasooda…_

_Spell it._

_F-l-a-s-o-d-a_

"Shay?" Lance asked skeptically. Ashs eyes darted around the room seemingly forgetting their existence.

His eyes snapped back to the Dragon Master, confusion filled his eyes before he blinked twice and remembered where he was, "C-Continue… What happened after the… Attack…"

"Only you know,"

His eyes darkened, "What?" He spat anger began to enter his voice. First they were so sure of their answers, but now they didn't have them?

"That's not entirely true," The brown haired woman interrupted quietly.

He turned a scrutinizing eye on her, "Who are you?"

She didn't answer right away, looking away from his gaze, she whispered, "I'm your mother…"

He blinked in confusion, not at all expecting that answer. He opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He looked to Cynthia who had the barest trace of a smile on her face, his eyes asked the unspoken question for him, and she tilted her head in acknowledgment.

"I… See…" He replied uncertainly, "And uh, what do you mean that what they said had was not entirely true?"

"You told us about what they- Team Rocket did to you once they kidnapped you at the award ceremony…"

"Tell me…" He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "Tell me what… _I_ told you,"

Delia nodded quietly, and began retelling along with Misty, what they had learned about his time at the Team Rocket Academy. The kidnapping, the torture, the fighting, his escape from the academy, and then the Sinnoh League where he was gunned down.

"You went to the Pokemon center after your match, there, you saw the Rocket who was competing in the League."

"What was his name?"

Misty spoke up, "It wasn't a him, it was a her. You came back to the lodge and after a bit of searching, we found out the Rockets name was…" She trailed off uncertainly.

"The Black Tulip, Domino," Alyssa spat bitterly.

"No." Ash stated defiantly. He shook his head, he wouldn't believe this, "That's a lie, tell me who really did this!"

"We have proof of this Shay," Steven spoke calmly; the reference to The Black Tulip had had an effect on him more than it should have, "And why won't you believe that the Black Tulip was the one who shot you?"

"Because," He growled, "Because I choose not to believe it, if you say there is proof that Domino shot me I want to see it!"

Lance nodded once and started off towards the door, "Come then, I'll pull up the files in the briefing room,"

Ash started after him immediately keeping beside the Dragon Master until they reached a room with a large monitor on the wall in front of an oval table with chairs around it.

The others piled in after catching up with the two, they could sense Ash was against the idea that Domino had been the one to shoot him down, but they had no idea why.

They all sat down except for Ash who stood in front of the blank monitor waiting for the video to roll. Lance flipped open a laptop on the table and began searching through the data base until he came across the file he was looking for.

The monitor blinked to life with a video of the Indigo League, "This was the recording of the Indigo League that was broadcasted worldwide, this takes place minutes before your battle,"

Ash grunted in acknowledgement as the commentator of the League did Trainer bio's for each of the upcoming battlers.

The first was of a blond girl, who Ash instantly recognized as Domino. She no longer wore her Rocket attire, but now a pink and white hat, pink hoodie, and green cargo pants. The commentator spoke over clips of her previous battles about her choice of Pokemon, home town, battling strategies.

He began to tense as he watched the screen flicker to a video of a hooded Trainer. _"Her opponent for today's matchup is a mysterious who goes by the name of Shay. His home Region and Town are currently held under wraps, but with the wide variety of Pokemon he has used fan and media speculations are leading to believe he is from the Johto or Sinnoh Regions. His battling strategies are some of the most uncalled for around, he rarely says a word during battle, and after wards he disappears without another word,"_

"_Well folks it's time to get this match underway, let's send you down to the field to get things started,"_

Ash listened uneasily, he could feel the others gaze switching from the monitor and then into his back. All he knew is that if he walked out onto the field, he wouldn't be so sure if returning to Team Rocket would be the best idea.

Time sped by as the introductions to the match were made; Ash was visibly startled to see himself walk out dressed in a Team Rocket uniform. As the battle went on, he paid little attention to the Pokemon battling; instead he focused on the actions and words of himself and Domino.

He was surprised by the brutality shown by Dominos Houndoom, and… _His_ Arcanine. He could hear in his voice though that both he and Domino held back in their attacks. What followed changed his perspective of many things in seconds.

He had called out a Charizard who was unwilling to go along with whatever he had planned, which he realized as soon as he saw his hand shifted to his hip and removed a small knife, was to attempt and take out Domino first before she could hit him.

Obviously that didn't happen.

After some banter back and forth between him and the Charizard it had reluctantly agreed and whipped up a sandstorm which coated the field in a thick coating of dust. It went on for nine seconds before the attack ceased and a feint scream followed by many more could be heard.

His breath caught as he saw that Domino was no longer on the field, while he lay unmoving on his back. He could hear the panic throughout the stadium, nothing happened until a woman, who he realized as… His mother came running out onto the field followed quickly by Misty and then shortly afterwards Alyssa.

The girls blocked his view of himself, but he could see paramedics running with a stretcher over towards him. And then the screen went blank.

"The League cut all broadcasting of the League at that point. Plenty of children watch the League and you had quite the fan base growing, to allow them to watch what took place would possibly scar them in the future,"

Ash was a statue, he remained ominously still and quiet still staring at the blank screen. A minute passed and he spoke quietly, "Is there any other footage?"

Lance nodded to himself, "It depends on what you want to see,"

He turned around his face not portraying any emotion, "Everything, the matches before this, news reports, and newspapers, everything from the… Sinnoh League attack as well. Every detail you have on… Me basically," With that he turned and started for the door, "Bring the information to my room," and then he left.

Cynthia cast a knowing glance to Lance and Steven, "Everything," She stated, "Including the medical files we've recovered."

The champions nodded in acknowledgment and made for the door to start gathering the Intel. Cynthia turned back to the girls and Pikachu, "Leave him alone for a while, he'll have to come to the decision that we are trying to help him on his own." With that, she turned and followed the others out.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Two days had pasted with no sign of Ash. He was holed up in his room examining, watching, analyzing every little detail that had been given to him. He watched his Pokemon League battles from his very first match against a kid named Mandi in the Indigo League six years ago, to crazed news reports about events taking place in the Orange Islands.

But as he continued his search, a slight feeling of remembrance through all the events. His search came to an end on the lone remaining file, flicking it open he removed the single sheet of paper. It was a medical form for the Training facility he was posted at. It was his medical history for the past year, with a short report next to each of the injections.

Quickly getting up from his bed, he folded the paper and left his room. Walking steadily down the hall in search for the blond Champion. He felt he could trust her more than the other Champions, that and she had a calm aura around her.

Ash found his way to her quarters and knocked on the door, it was nearing midnight and assumed she would be there.

There was a pause before the door was opened by the Champion, she gave him a nod and gestured to come in the room, where she closed the door behind him. "What can I do for you Ash?" She asked kindly sitting down on her bed.

He remained standing by the door as he spoke calmly, "Had this been a few months ago, I can gureentee that one or both of us would be dead,"

"But we aren't are we?"

"No," He paused thoughtfully, "I suppose we aren't."

"As much as I don't want to believe all of this, it seems that I have no choice,"

Cynthia shook her head, "We always have a choice, just not always the right one,"

He leaned back against the door and ran a hand through his hair, "Of the two choices I have, one being to stay here, and the other to return to Team Rocket. I'd have to say that… Staying here is the better of the two choices,"

She smiled warmly at his answer, "We were hoping you'd see it that way, otherwise we'd have to hold you here for who knows how long until we work that drug out of your system,"

Ash begun unfolding the sheet of paper and looked to the Champion, "Speaking of drugs, I suppose this is the one you are referring to?" He held the paper up so she could examine it.

"Yes that's the one,"

"And I take it you… Found the one I had on me when I was brought here?"

Cynthia smiled slightly, "We did, do you need it?" She asked curiously.

He opened his mouth to reply, but she continued before he could, "Because if you don't we could possibly have the lab make an antidote for it."

His auburn eyes met her grey in a mutual understanding, "And how long would that take?"

"I don't know, probably no longer than two weeks. The scientists here are very knowledgeable about these things,"

"And what would I be doing in the time it takes to make the antidote?"

"You'll help us, have of the Intel that you read is what you recovered in the time in-between the Sinnoh League and Indigo, we're working towards the same goal. Shutting down Team Rocket,"

He knew this is where his loyalty would be tested, to turn against the only life he knew of for the past year… Or possibly regain another life that he had once lived in exchange for betray-… No, he had been betrayed. By Domino and Giovanni, faking his death so they could use him to… to… What?

"I'll do it," He whispered looking down at the ground, but his dark gaze snapped up startling the Champion, "But on one condition,"

"And that is?" She said slowly.

"When it comes to Giovanni, he's mine."

You could feel the tension in the room as Cynthia thought of her response, "For what?" She asked hesitantly.

"I want answers, I've got plenty of questions now, and if we do get an antidote for… This," He gestured to the paper, "Expect those questions to double, and besides," He smirked coldly, "The G-Men don't _kill_,"

Cynthia stood up analyzing the ex-Team Rocket member cautiously, but very slowly she extended her hand, "Is this a deal then?"

He looked at the hand before back up to the champion.

"It's a deal,"

* * *

**Okay I'll be honest, I'm not happy with this chapter. It was supposed to be apart of last chapter, but I couldn't fit it in. And then when I finished it the quality is... Meh, I rewrote this chapter twice, the previous two version I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to upload.**

**The quality and Length per chapter have been dropping rapidly, so what I'm going to do is take a break from writing. Not like a few months, but probably until the end of the month so that I can work on Mistys character so she's more interesting, because right now she's about as fun as a box of rocks. And secondly I just want a break, I've been doing this nonstop since I began writing back in January and to take some time away will do me some good.  
**

**That's about it, thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a review.  
**

**Thanks again, _Peace!_  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Ya know," Ash grumbled through a mouth full of food, "This really isn't all that bad," He was sitting alone in the empty cafeteria of the G-Men Headquarters, having a mindless discussion with the Pikachu on his shoulder and his Espeon lying across his lap.

Pikachu nodded distractedly, trying to pop off the lid to a ketchup bottle, "Chu pika pika?"

The raven haired ex-Rocket, had taken a liking–or as he had begun to think of it an_ attachment- _to the little mouse over the past day. After reclaiming Espeon from his possessions, the electric rodent had begun following him around, jumping on his shoulder and _talking _to him at every possibility. At first it had been a nuisance, but then after a while it just felt… Natural.

As for the others, that Misty, Alyssa and… He still didn't believe this one; his mother. They had stuck to shadowing him, he was trained to know when he was being watched or followed. And although the blonde was far better at it than the other two, probably due to her so called Rocket training, he could still spot them out in a heartbeat.

Like now, standing in the shadows of the entrance to cafeteria behind him was the red head watching him rather apprehensively. He was still unsure if everything was truly happening. That he'd been captured by the League forces, met the two girls who had taunted him, learned that he was some tool of Giovanni's…

He shook the thought away, he'd have his answers eventually. But right now he was rather… _Happy?_ He smirked a little at the thought, this was the first time in God knows how long that he had free time to do whatever the hell he liked.

And right now, whether he looked like a slob or not, he was stuffing his face with whatever they had in stock in the cafeteria. And he was enjoying it.

"So tell me," He paused to take a sip of some wine which he had liberated from a hidden cellar. Apparently there was a limited supply, and it was only supposed to be used for official meetings or celebrations. But in this instant? That rule didn't apply to him.

"Why did I supposedly get you for a starter?" He asked the little mouse, "If Oak hands out a Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle to new trainers?"

Pikachu gave up his attempt at opening the ketchup bottle and handed it to Ash, "Cha pika, Pikachu Pikapi chu kaka." He replied as Ash undid the cap and handed him back the bottle.

He scratched Espeon under the chin, a scoff escaping him, "Please, I slept in? I'll be damned if that happened," He took another sip of his wine before continuing, "Well, actually I'll be damned if it _didn't_ happen, there hasn't been a day since being with TR that I've slept in… Odd." He shifted on the bench of the table thoughtfully.

"But maybe I have slept in, an-"

"Chu pika pika chu," Pikachu interrupted.

Ash let out a genuine laugh, something which he hadn't done in months, "That doesn't happen anymore, I would wake up at the slightest sound," He started to speak louder, "Even the sound of a sneaker scuffing on the ground," Turning around he raised an eyebrow at the stunned redhead, "Look, if you want to say or talk to me or anything I'm not gonna kill you."

He turned back to the table and took a fry, "I got a deal goin with Cynthia so no… Violent outbreaks, or killing sprees," The muffled sound of sneakers quietly approaching him from behind kept him talking, "Although that may not be entirely under my control." He looked back to Misty who stood nervously behind him, poised as if she was ready to sprint out of the room and sound the alarm in an instant.

"Tend to get a bit _cranky,_" He chuckled at the word, "at times if I don't take my meds. Headaches, hallucinations, I'll even go out on a limb and say lucid dreams." He placed the fry in his mouth and chewed slowly.

Misty was not as tense as she had been, her shoulders were relaxing, and her posture wasn't as stiff. However her eyes show curiosity mixed in with anxiety. "If you've come to talk then sit down. If you've come to stare, I'd rather you do it from a distance, my space is my own and I'd like it to not be filled with people staring at me like I'm a psychopath," With that he spun around, and resumed eating.

Returning to his conversation at hand with the electric mouse, he stroked Espeons fur thoughtfully, which earned a delighted purr in response, "Other than you, Esp, and the ones I've seen from the League tapes, which other Pokemon do I own?" He asked looking to the eagerly licking Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Chu pi pika, kaka, pikachu pika pi chu Pikapi,"

He tilted his head slightly, "Not bad," He mumbled approvingly, "Once this is all over, I hope you're all not disappointed when we don't enter any more Leagues,"

"PI!?"

"WHAT!?"

He smirked, "So she talks?" He took his glass of wine and shook its contents. Deciding it could use a refuel, he took the bottle and refilled it to just under the rim. Placing the bottle back down he took a sip and sighed, "Are you going to sit down now? I mean am I in your seat or something, if I am say so and I'll slide over. But please just _sit down_; having you watch over my shoulder is just a nuisance."

After a brief pause, there were three footsteps until Misty sat down on the bench beside him, stiff and feeling uneasy. He took the wine and slid it in front of her, "Take a sip, it'll calm your nerves," He advised.

She looked at him, her cerulean eyes searching his face for something until her attention was brought back to the glass. Hesitant she delicately picked it up and brought it to her lips, taking in the cold liquid and savoring its taste, before setting it back down on the table.

"Better?"

She nodded slightly, tucking a stray strand of orange hair behind her ear. They sat in silence, except for the slurping of Pikachu and his ketchup bottle, and the occasional purr from Espeon.

"Why…" She trailed off as soon as she begun. Her voice just under a whisper, barely audible to Ash.

He sat there without saying anything; if she was going to ask him something then she'd do it on her own. If anyone should have been having trouble speaking it should have been him, not knowing who he was, not knowing his past, his future, family, the list goes on.

But this girl, woman, whatever you want to call her thought he was dead. _Big deal!_ Suck it up and move on. Well that's how he saw it anyway.

She once again opened her mouth to speak but know words came out, so she quickly shut it.

"Drink," He stated nodding slightly to the glass of wine before taking a few fries and one by one placing them into his mouth. He watched as she took a few more sips, a small smile crept its way onto his face at how _lady like_ she looked. "Better?"

She took a deep breath and nodded, "Why are you acting like this?" She whispered looking away from the glass and into his eyes.

"I'm hungry?" He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, he gestured to the plate of fries, "Want some?"

She continued to stare at him, a frown mixed with the barest trace of a smile on her face. Slowly she reached over and removed a fry from the plate and stuck it into her mouth, chewing slowly.

He watched her and chuckled slightly, drawing her attention. "What?" She asked slightly confused.

"Nothing, now what were you saying about me acting the way I am?"

She paused, feeling slightly uneasy, "Two days ago, you were ready to tear our throats out,"

"Still am if I need to,"

She tensed slightly at his cool demeanor, "Drink," she did as told and had another sip of wine.

Swallowing nervously she continued, "And now, your acting as if you haven't got a care in the world. You've done a full one eighty…"

He nodded thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully, "It's easier to be something you're not instead of yourself,"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"It's easy for me to go around being a hard-ass, and cussing like a sailor at any time. Not sure why, but it's like second nature to me. While it's _very_ rare for me to be myself with my reputation. How can I make friends when everyone avoids me for being a killer or some…?_ Specimen"_ He spat the word out bitterly, a hard light entering his eyes, "I can only care for those who allow me. And right now that's only Espeon… There was someone else…" He trailed off his voice getting distant as he thought of the blonde Team Rocket member who he had trusted for the past year.

"Who was it?" She asked carefully, she could see the shift in his posture as well as the tone in his voice that this was possibly dangerous territory to be going in.

"No one," He stated reaching for the glass of wine and downing the rest of its contents before refilling and placing it between them. "Doesn't matter… Yet."

A long silence fell between them, with no one entering the cafeteria or walking by. Pikachu had long finished his bottle of ketchup and was now fast asleep while draped over Ashs shoulder.

"Got any stories?" He asked curiously, getting up from his seat and bringing the tray of wrappers to the garbage.

"Stories?" She asked uncertainly, as Ash disappeared around the counter of the cafeteria and out of sight.

There was a call from the kitchen, "Yeah something that may spark a memory or something? While I'm back here do ya want anything?"

She laughed softly, "If you see something good then sure," She then bit her lip nervously. What story could she tell!? She then changed the thought, what story _shouldn't_ she tell. The gym battles, Leagues, travelling tales, adventures, the list went on.

He returned from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn a minute later and set it next to the wine, "Better leave something for the others, so this'll have to do,"

"It's like a dream," She stated taking a handful of popcorn, she looked over and saw the raised eyebrow asking her to elaborate, "Everything that's happened, a very long, very bad dream…"

"Surely not all bad, I mean there has to be at least _one _bright spot in the past however long this has been going on," He ate a few pieces and then had a sip of wine.

There were, but all of them involved the time she spent with him once he returned. That was the most… Unbelievable, fantastic… Indescribable day of her life. "There were a few times," She said slowly.

"Like?"

"The day you came home to Pallet, the greatest day of my life."

He scoffed, "Of your life? Really?"

She nodded seriously, "We all thought you were dead, it had been four years, four years of uncertainty, of… Pain… But oh god you had it worse Ash, what you told us… What Alyssa has told us…" She shook her head as she began to shake.

"Drink," He said softly eying the girl curiously. She was a talker once you got her going, and hell he could probably get her life story if he got her drunk. He watched as she took the wine and drank half the glass, "Now deep breaths and then continue,"

After inhaling and exhaling deeply for a few moments, she swallowed the lump in her throat and continued.

"You should be dead," She whispered motionlessly. It killed her to say it, but it was absolutely true, "You've been cut… stabbed… shot, _broken,_ you should be a fifty feet under but you're not."

"I should be. I should have been dead years ago, but I'm not." His auburn met her cerulean, "And I wish I was,"

Her mouth drooped open slightly, sadness washing over her as she felt heaviness enter her heart, "Why?"

He laughed; it was devoid of any humor, or happiness. It was hollow, cold, a very chilling laugh, "There is nothing out there for me." He began slowly, "For the rest of my life, I'm going to be known as the guy who disappeared, came back, and then died on national television. I'm going to be known as a killer, as a member of Team Rocket. I was a Trainer before all of this happened right?" He asked curiously, she nodded, "Can't do that anymore, they would _never_ allow a Trainer like me to be a face for the Pokemon League, let alone a Master. I'm not a role-model for the next generation, I could have been had Giovanni never _fucked with my life!_" He clenched his fist tightly trying to contain his anger, with every passing moment he wanted Giovanni's head on a silver platter. When he got the chance, God was he going to murder that son of a bitch!

"Ash?" Misty whispered nervously, she could see the anger building up in him. Veins were starting to show in his arms as his fist clenched tighter and tighter.

His eyes darted away from hers, "Yes?" He whispered through grated teeth.

"Drink?" She asked quietly sliding the glass in front of him. He stared at the wine, extending his hand, he stopped immediately.

What. The Hell. Was he doing!? He was drinking his god damn problems away. He… He inwardly cursed himself, if he got drunk in his current state or any state at all. He'd be digging his own grave.

He shook his head, scooping Espeon up into his arms, "No, I'm gonna take a walk… Clear my head," He gave her a slight nod before hurrying towards the cafeteria door.

"Can I come?" She called after him.

He stopped at the door, contemplating her request, before he slowly shook his head, "No, better I go out on my own." And then after a long pause he added, "Sorry."

With that he left.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He strolled aimlessly around the massive building. He needed something to get his mind off the subject at hand. Go see the Champions? They'd probably give him work or something to do, and as far as he was concerned today was his day off. Tomorrow he would help out, unless it was urgent.

He could go to the gym, work out or head to the pool… The pool sounded nice, they probably had a hot tub, which would be relaxing. Drown his thoughts away in steamy hot water… He could go outsi- he tossed the thought aside as soon as it entered his mind. G-Men didn't trust him enough to let him _out_ yet.

From what he knew there wasn't a break room or anything… The place was quite the big disappointment thinking about it. He stroked Espeons soft magenta fur absent mindedly; the purple cat had dozed off in his arms and was purring silently. While Pikachu snored quietly on his shoulder, ears drooping to the side.

Making the decision, he decided to head back to his room for a nap. Right now there was no better way to kill time then sleep. Heading towards the barracks, he passed many G-Men officials, getting that _look_ that made him want to punch them in the face, every time.

He was a few doors away from his room when he stopped cold in his tracks. From the other side of the door in front of him, he could hear a harmonica playing quietly. But that's not what stopped him, what stopped him was the song that was being played.

_Pyrite huh?_

He blinked as he heard himself speak.

_I hated it there... I prefer it here, then that hell hole any day._

_Pyrite City, located in the south western portion of the Orre Region. Population five thousand, mainly convicts, thugs, and petty thieves. _He recited in his mind quickly.

Was Pyrite important? It must have been, why else would he have heard himself and… Alyssa? Was this her room? He raised his hand and knocked on the door without thinking. The harmonica came to a stop and there was a muffled thump on the other end, before the door handle shook, twisted and opened.

"Ye-Ash?" She finished in a whisper with wide eyes.

"Sorry for interrupting you, but I heard… Was that you playing?" He asked curiously getting straight to the point.

She nodded, her blue eyes filled with confusion, "Have I heard it before?"

Once again she nodded wordlessly; it just seemed unreal that Ash was here. Talking to her. Without cussing his brains out.

"When?" It took a minute for what he said to click, but when it did she looked away from him and gestured for him to follow her in.

The room was neat, slightly larger than his. A bed, dresser, mirror, and a bathroom. She sat down on the bed and swallowed nervously, as Ash cautiously entered the room, "Did… Did you remember?" She whispered. Her tone belayed curiosity and the nervousness in her tone .

"I think so… I heard you playing, and then I heard us speak. That's it… You dislike Pyrite?" He asked sitting down next to her on the bed, placing Pikachu and Espeon onto the bed.

"Your calm, not shouting, or swearing. And you've got Pikachu with you," She said quietly.

"I've grown attached to the little guy, he's good company." He looked carefully at the blond, she was sitting slightly defensive, her arms crossed over her chest and had her eyes cast down, "You're scared," He said softly.

She looked up caught off guard at the remark, "No I'm just confused," she answered removing the green beret from her head and holding it in her hands.

"About?"

She paused, "You don't know who I am right?"

He was slightly taken aback by the question, but he replied, "That depends on how you look at the question. I know, and knew you from what I've gathered. I knew you before Team Rocket…" He stopped unsure of what to say.

"Faked your death?" She answered, before adding in, "The second time."

He laughed softly, which brought a small smile to her face. "Yes the second time, you were… We were friends yes?"

"The best of," That brought a small grin to his face.

"And now, I recognize you. I may not… Remember everything about you, but it's coming back. Faster now without the drug. Just as it is with Misty and Pikachu…"

"Are you ever going to fully remember?"

He paused his face turning serious, "Tell me, say I never remember everything," She nodded gesturing for him to continue, "Would you still be… My friend?"

"Of course," She replied instantly, which brought the smile back to his face.

"How come? I'm basically a strang-"

She cut him off, "You may not remember but you're still Ash," She said sternly, "You and I… You are and will always be my best friend Ash. Nothing could ever change that; I'll _always _be your friend, now, a week, a year from now, _always._"

"We've been through a lot together?"

She leaned against his arm, and sighed, "More then you could ever imagine,"

He smiled softly, talking with Misty and now Alyssa felt… Right. As long as he kept his temper in check, it felt natural talking to these two. Even with Pikachu, that persistent little electric mouse, talking with him felt right, natural.

His thoughts drifted back to the harmonica, when he had asked she had closed herself off immediately. The inadvertent change in topic, as well as her body language. The song held a deeper meaning then just some random riff. He knew enough about music to understand that some songs hold a memory or special place with a person. Such as the song that a bride and groom dance to for their first dance, or the favorite song of a person played at their funeral.

The song she had played had held a deeper meaning.

He'd wait until later, until he got to know her better to ask about the song. Right now though, he decided it would be best to drop off his Pokemon in his room before going to find the Champions before turning in for the night.

"Alyssa?" He asked softly. She mmm'd in response, "Thanks for talking with me,"

She smiled looking up from where she was leaning to his face, "You don't need to thank me, we're friends right?"

He couldn't help but smile, three, maybe four including Cynthia, friends added to his small list in a matter of hours. And he had that feeling again that these were people he could trust, that he'd feel safe by in a dangerous situation.

"I'm gonna head to my room, drop these to off to get some sleep. So I'll talk to ya later?" He asked as she stopped leaning and helped place Pikachu onto his shoulder as he scooped up Espeon.

"Sure thing, I'll see you in the morning Ash. Sweet dreams," She said softly as he left for the door.

"Goodnight Aly, sweet dreams," He walked out the room and towards his room. Leaving a shocked Alyssa standing in disbelief by herself.

A smile crept across her face before it turned to an ecstatic grin.

_He's remembering, it may be slow going. But it's only a matter of time…_

* * *

**Well hey there everybody. **

**I think that was a pretty solid return chapter after a month off. Well there are a few things I need to address before I close off this chapter and those are:**

**-School starts for me tomorrow. I'm going into Grade 11, which means my grades **_**need**_** to improve throughout the year. So I may not have weekly updates for this or A Guardians Princess.**

**-Misty's character. I've been working on her character, she's better off in this chapter then she had been in the past six in my opinion. But she is still OOC. I'd say in two chapters or so, she's going to be going back to the Misty who would smash Ashs face in at every little annoyance possible.**

**-Chapter length. This is something I'm unsure about for this story. The chapters range from either 3-6K words, and I've got to say writing shorter chapters (4K Words) are a lot easier than 6K. So that's the marker I've set per chapter, somewhere near the 4K mark.**

**From what I can think of that's about it, this was mostly a character building chapter, nothing to interesting happened, but drop in a review on how you thought it went. **

**Your opinions means a lot to me and help me continue on the story with your feedback. So I'd like to say thanks for reading, and I'll see ya next time.**

_**ThatOne-**_

**Hang on saying it now; I may change my user name within the next week. Had been thinking about changing it for a while, so just a heads up!**

**Now.**

_**ThatOneDwarf Signing Off!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Wouldn't that be far more difficult?" Cynthia asked exasperatedly. She, Lance, and Anderson were surrounding a laid out map of the Kanto Region, which had labels of warehouses scattered across the Region.

"I don't see why it should be," Lance stated looking up from the map, "He's got the proper training, and it's close to home."

"I still don't like the idea of sending out the kid," Anderson pointed out for the third time that meeting, "I may have liked the idea of him staying here and giving us information, but sending him _back _into Team Rocket territory so he could just abandon us-"

"He gave me his word," Cynthia said sternly, her grey eyes fastened on the older man, "He _won't_ abandon us."

Anderson stiffened casting the blonde a scrutinizing look, "Won't he?" He asked, "He killed over twelve of my men without hesitation. He's been _brainwashed_ by the Rockets to kill his enemies, how do y_ou_ know that he isn't playing us right now. That he hasn't already contacted them into coming and breaking him out? You've given him all access to the Head Quarters; he could just walk in send a transmission and be done with it. How can you trust this… _Killer?_"

"That's enough Anderson!" Lance butted in loudly, but keeping an authoritative tone. There was far too much work to be done, and to much riding on Ash for him to help take down Team Rocket. He didn't need Cynthia and their chief of strategic offense at each others throats.

"Ketchum doesn't trust us _or _Team Rocket, but he likes us a hell of a lot more judging by the way he's been acting."

Cynthia nodded in agreement, "Hasn't had an outburst since he and I made the deal, no violence, no bad behavior… Although he did break into the wine cellar, but we can let that pass." She then pointed to a location on the map, "We should send him here, have him extract those Pokemon and secure any Intel he can get his hands on. In and out job, and he's back home."

Lance shook his head, "That's minimal security Cynth; you could walk in as you are and get those Pokemon out. And what sort of files would you expect them to have? We've got to…" He trailed off as Cynthia walked away from the map and to an intercom.

Flicking the switch by the microphone, she spoke, "Would Ash Ketchum please report to the communications room immediately, I repeat Ash Ketchum to the com-room." She flicked off the switch and returned to the map, "May as well just get him to tell us which target he'd like to hit. Far easier than having us bickering back and forth for hours on end."

The Kanto/Johto Champion merely shrugged in response, "I suppose you're right on that," He then turned to Anderson, "Do not aggravate him, or make any smart remarks which may set him off do you understand?"

Anderson looked at his younger superior and nodded with a slight grunt, "Good."

It was a couple of minutes later when Ash pushed open the door to the com-room and nodded in greeting to the three, "Sorry for taking so long," He cleared his throat as he came up and examined the map, "I was working out, and… Needed to uh shower… and…" He trailed off as he spun the map around to face him, his lips pursed in a tight line.

"Warehouses," He murmured as he ran a finger over one of the crossed off markers, "Factories, and… Training Facilities," He looked up, "What do you want me to do?"

Cynthia smiled despite herself, "We're giving you a choice," She answered.

"A choice?"

"Yes, we're giving you permission to leave the HQ to free and scavenge files at one of these," She gestured to the map, "Locations."

He raised an eyebrow in response, "My decision on where I go?" She nodded, "Hmm…" He returned his gaze back to the map, "Where are we in Kanto."

"Fennel Valley," Anderson said coldly.

The raven haired young man's eyes snapped away from the map and to the Lieutenant at his tone, "Do you have something you'd like to say _Lieutenant!?_" He asked harshly, his eyes like daggers.

Anderson met his gaze with a hard light flickering beneath his dark brown eyes, "I don't, why do you ask?" He replied calmly.

Ash cracked his neck agitatedly, turning away from the Lieutenant he looked at the Champions, "If you want my help," He stated seriously, "Keep men like him away from me." He paused and inhaled a deep breath to calm his anger, "Now I need a pen or something,"

Lance reached into his back pocket and produced a pen which he handed to the ex-Rocket, as well as sending Anderson a warning glare.

Ash placed an X in Fennel Valley before returning his gaze to the Warehouse locations. The champions watched patiently as his finger went from location to location, his lips moving wordlessly with each target.

He took the pen and drew a line from their location to a warehouse in Saffron, and then Celadon. He pursed his lips and ran a finger over a warehouse between the two, "Here." He stated circling the location.

Lance came around and looked over his shoulder curiously, "It's a low end target, nothing very interesting…"

Ash turned his head to look at the red haired Champion, "Looks can be deceptive Lance, Celadon and Saffron are two major Rocket locations, so having a com-center between the two means there is going to be heavy traffic flows of information between Celadon and Saffron,"

"You're sure?" Cynthia asked skeptically, she trusted the Trainer, but she had been in the G-men long enough to know that small scale targets such as the one Ash had chosen would hold absolute zero information.

"Yes," He pursed his lips before looking to the three, "Ready me a transport, I'll be ready in ten."

"You don't want to recon-"

"I know what I'm doing; ready a transport and I'll be ready in ten." He gave them a nod before starting towards the door, stopping as his hand touched the handle, he looked over his shoulder, "My gear, where is it?"

Cynthia hesitated before answer, "Head down to security, tell them we're giving you clearance three two nine'r. They'll know what that means,"

Without a reply, he pushed opened the door and started off for the security room.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Pulling the black long-sleeved shirt over his head, he grabbed his modified vest and put it on securely, tightening the straps snugly around his chest. Taking his array of knives he tucked them into their respective sheaths before starting off for the barracks.

He garnered scared terrified gazes as he strolled swiftly down the halls, some technicians and office personal ducking into rooms at his presence. Turning a corner he walked down the hall towards his room and opened his door.

Laying asleep on his bed were the psychic and electric types. Moving silently around the bed to Espeon, he scooped her up into his arms and then quickly left his room without a sound. Leaving the door open an inch for when Pikachu needed to leave he whispered, "We've got an assignment Esp, I'll need you to return for now,"

She purred into his chest before he removed her pokeball from his side and returned her in a flash of red light.

"Where are you off to?"

"I've been given an assignment." He stated turning to the blonde who leaned on the wall behind him curiously.

"Assignment?"

He nodded, "The Champions are sending me out to… Test my trust, infiltrate a telecom center between Saffron and Celadon."

"Saffron and Celadon?" She questioned with furrowed eyebrows, he nodded, "You've been there before,"

He blinked, "What?"

"Come here," Alyssa turned away from him and towards her room, he trailed behind her curiously as she opened her door and walked over to her bed.

She picked up the laptop that rested near her pillows and sat down on the edge, patting next to her as a gesture for him to do the same.

Hesitantly he did as told and sat down next to the blond, blinking in surprise as the laptop screen flickered to life with files, charts, and maps littered across the screen, "What is all this?" He asked quietly trying to get a look at all the different file names.

"When… We worked together to shut down Team Rocket, the system was that you cause hell and I scavenge for information." She paused pulling up a file and scrolling down its contents, "You were never good with computers," He frowned slightly, "So we agreed that I'd be the one who keeps everything organized and plan on where you'd hit next."

"So in a sense you were my boss?"

She smiled slightly, "More like your secretary, mind grabbing me my bag?" She tilted her head in the direction of a back pack leaning against the wall. He complied and grabbed the bag, setting it down next to the blond, "Anyways, once I was out of training and I contacted you over in Orre we planned your first few targets for setting Pokemon loose,"

"What do you mean setting them loose?"

She looked up from her screen, her blue eyes meeting his confused brown, "Suppose you didn't get the files about the Shadow Pokemon?"

He shook his head, "Well to keep a long story short you and I sort of figured out what TR was planning,"

"Which was?"

"Giovanni wants to control the Pokemon League,"

His face scrunched up in confusion, "The League? Why?"

She shrugged, "He's building something, or was building something. After… You were shot at Indigo last year I severed all ties with Team Rocket, so whatever he was building may or may not be completed."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a black key card, she pressed a button on the side of the laptop and a slot in the side opened up. Inserting the card, she clicked on a file and waited patiently as a loading bar came up on the screen.

"What is this?" He gestured at the screen.

"When you went off to where ever, I all ways made sure to make you a card that could bypass all locks," She grinned slightly at his raised eyebrow, "It's easier than crawling through air ducts,"

He fingered a knife on his chest absentmindedly, "I use the front door, air ducts take too much time."

The loading bar blinked green and the card ejected from the computer, "And you greet those at the front door with open arms?"

He shrugged slightly as she handed him the card, "More or less, and… This will work?" He asked holding the card between his index and middle fingers.

"The only way that card won't work is if Giovanni implemented a new security system across all Rocket data bases within the past year, and if by the chance that he did I suppose you'll be doing what you originally planned?"

He cocked his head slightly to the side, "And what would you believe is my original plan?"

"_Eliminate_ all hostiles?"

"Why would you say that?" He asked quietly keeping his eyes transfixed on hers.

"Because it's what you've always done," She shut her laptop and stood up, "And it's best if you don't mention that to Misty or Delia, you originally informed them that you _didn't_ kill. You didn't want them giving you those looks you get when you walk down the hall,"

"You've noticed?"

She sighed softly, "I've noticed them, I've been on the receiving end of them as well. You should get going,"

He got up slowly and together they left the room towards the main elevator that led to the roof, "You've been on the receiving end of it?" She nodded, "When?"

"Back at the academy-"

"Where… Where was this Academy?"

She raised an eyebrow at him eying him critically, "Plan on going back?"

He didn't reply as he pressed the button for the roof top, "Ecruteak, I bet if you go back there you'd remember a lot,"

"Why would you say that?"

She shrugged uncertainly, "You remember things, it just takes a… Sentence or sound to get you remembering, so… Why not go to the place where this all started, your training, you're…" She cleared her throat uneasily, "Beatings, fights, _torture_…"

She shudder at the final word, the elevator door _dinged_ open and they stepped out into afternoon glare. "Maybe…" He muttered shielding his eyes with a hand walking over to where the three Champions and Anderson stood next to a black Helicopter.

"Ready to go?" Cynthia asked as they approached.

"Yes,"

"We'll be dropping you off just outside of Saffron, from there you'll need to make your way to base on foot," She held out a GPS to him, "Location is marked on this,"

He nodded taking the GPS and tucking it into a pouch on his vest, "Where do you want Evac?"

He blinked before answering, "I'll make my own way back-"

"No,"

His eyes narrowed and he eyed Cynthia carefully, "No?"

"It's to risky," She improvised quickly, "We can't risk letting Team Rocket picking you up on the way back, involuntarily leading them back to HQ,"

"I know what I'm doing Cynthia," He stated slowly, "Let me do this on my own, or else you can find someone else to do this assignment."

His brown eyes shifted between the Champions, "Well?"

The Champions eyes met each other in a hesitant mutual agreement, "Fine," Lance agreed, "Do you need anything _for_ evac though? Transportation, money, anything?"

"I'll be fi-"

Alyssa cleared her throat hesitantly as all eyes turned to her, "Well, uh you _could_ go to Pallet and umm… Get his motorcycle, and drop it off in Celadon…"

"Motorcycle?"

She nodded slightly at his raised eyebrow, "It's behind the house, after… Indigo you left it to me, and I've kept it running and maintained."

He turned to the Champions, "Tell you what, get that bike and place a tracker on it that syncs with the GPS. That way I can find it afterwards, and you can keep an eye on me. Deal?" He held out his hand.

Cynthia grasped it and shook, "Deal, Celadon is closest to HQ so expect the bike to be there, best you get going if you want to arrive at base before sundown,"

Ash gave them all a nod before starting towards the helicopter, as he approached the open hatch, he hesitated before he quickly turned back and walked over to the blonde. Taking her by the arm he led her a few feet away from the Champions, "Where would I look for this Academy?" He whispered into her ear.

She turned her head slightly so she could see his eyes, "about three clicks south of Ecruteak, deep in the forest,"

"Any… Certain area's there that I should investigate?"

She bit her lip in thought before saying quietly, "Sub basement, sub basement and the cafeteria in the northeast wing. Also if you see a brunette nurse with green eyes try to get a one on one with her,"

"She important?"

"She kept you alive, the amount of times you… She was your personal doctor you could say…"

He gave her a small smile and a nod, "Thank you Alyssa," He said gratefully, "I'll see you in a couple days."

She quickly took him into a hug startling him, "Be safe," She whispered.

Hesitantly he brought his arms up and unsurely hugged the blonde back, "I will," With that he quickly broke the hug and started back for the helicopter. Giving them one last nod, he walked up the back hatch and into the cockpit, "Take us out of here,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash glanced back down at the GPS as he neared the telecom center, the red blip on the screen indicating that the building should be just around the corner.

After touching down near Saffron, he had gone east through the nearby forest in the direction of the Rocket building. With the sun beginning to set, he had come across the hidden road that led towards the building deep within the bush.

Slipping the GPS back into its pouch, he removed the key card from his side pocket and rounded the corner. A medium five story building came into view, radio towers and satellite dishes sitting on the roof top and to the right of the building. A chain link fence surrounded the building, with a sliding gate as the only access.

His eyes went cold as two Rocket Grunts ran to the front gates with their hands ready to grab a Pokeball, "Stay where you are and lay down your weapons!" One of the two shouted.

Ash remained silent and walked up to the gate, "Excuse me?" He growled angrily, "Who are you to be giving _me_ orders _Private!?_" Laying extra emphasis on his rank.

"What are the clearance codes for this center?" The second Grunt asked hesitantly.

_Thirty-two nineteen zero seven_

"Thirty-two nineteen zero seven," He growled, "Giovanni wouldn't want to find out that your keeping his top agent from entering this facility now would you?"

They gulped, "Name?"

His eyes turned to daggers, "Listen here _Private!_" He shouted make the two stagger back, "I just broke free of the Leagues hold and I need to contact Giovanni ASAP, so let me through _now!"_

"N-Nam-"

Ash took the black key card and walked over to a side entrance with a card lock. Sliding the card in, he felt a wave of relief wash over him as the light blinked green and the gate opened. He strode over to the wide eyed Grunt with furious eyes, gripping him by the collar he pulled his face right in front of his own.

"What is _your_ name Private!?" He hissed furiously.

"J-Jenkins!" He stuttered nervously.

Ash removed one hand from Jenkins collar and removed a knife from his vest, bringing it up to his throat he growled, "I could kill you right here, right now. And Giovanni would _not _care for you at all. In fact he would be _thankful_ that I eliminated someone who completely disregards rank! But I'm feeling generous at the moment; if I see your face again around this center then your head will be on a stake understand me… _Private!"_

The grunt was as white as snow, "Yes sir!" He whispered in fear.

Ash shoved the Grunt to the ground and rounded on the second who watched on in panic, "Same goes for you got it!?"

"Understood sir!"

Ash gave them both steely glares before turning back to the telecom centers, stalking over to the nearest door he swiped his key card and pushed open the door. Rockets in their black uniforms with the large red "R's" on the front hustled about the room, computer stations and control panels blinked with rapidly passing messages.

Ash walked through the room and over to the lone elevator, stepping inside he pressed the button for the basement and waited patiently as the door rolled shut and began descending two floors.

Hissing open, he left the elevator and instinctively turned right. Going down the hall which was empty of any personal. His eyes shifted between passing doors, none seeming high security. But then he rounded a corner and spotted a door at the far end of the hall.

He picked up his pace and stopped himself outside of the door, pulling out the card he swiped it into the lock and smirked as it blinked green. _Alyssa really knew what she was doing._ Pushing open the door he was greeted with the sight of walls lined with file cabinets, a lone computer on a desk currently being used by a single operative.

The man in the chair spun in his seat and eyed Ash curiously, seeing the large array of knives on his chest as well as the dual holstered pistols, "Can I help you?" He asked cautiously.

Ash nodded and walked over to a file cabinet next to the man, "I was assigned by Giovanni to come and claim information on a project that was recently passed through here," He stated pulling open a cabinet and idly searching through its contents.

"The Boss really? Well maybe I can help you, what's this file you're searching for?" The man asked spinning around in his chair to face his computer.

Ash came up behind him and looked over his shoulder at the screen, "Ecruteak City," His eyes watched as a screen lit up with information on the City in Johto.

"So the most recen- Ack!" Ash put an arm around the man's throat and ripped him from the chair, holding him in a choke hold. The man flailed his arms trying to lash out at Ash as the blood flow from his head started to cease.

His grip tightened the flailing and movements becoming sluggish and less powerful until finally the body went limp. Holding the man a few seconds later, Ash let the limp body fall to the ground. Sitting down in the once occupied seat he scrolled down the lists of files, transcripts, reports, all sent from or around Ecruteak City.

Reaching into a pouch on his vest he removed a USB chip and inserted it into the computer systems. Quickly selecting each of the documents he transferred everything onto the USB before standing up and going over to the file cabinets. He pulled open a cabinet labelled "S" and started removing all documents labelled Saffron, Silph Co. and Shadow. Placing those on the desk he went over to another cabinet this time labeled "C" and started removing all files labelled Celadon. He paused as he passed over the files labelled Cerulean. Unsure why, he removed the files and stuck them with the others.

Removing both of his pistols from there holsters, he attached silencers to each of them. His eyes drifted over to the computer which was just about done downloading the files onto the flash drive. Once the computer blinked reading _download complete 100%_, he removed the USB and tucked it into a pouch before taking the files under one arm while he unholstered one of his pistols and clicked off the safety.

Turning his unwavering gaze to the still unconscious rocket on the ground he raised the pistol to the man's hand and pulled the trigger.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

With his pistol raised, he continued his search of the fifth floor; he had cleared out the basement and floors one through four without the alarm being triggered. And now he had one straggler left, he shifted the pack that housed the files he had scavenged on his back quietly.

He stepped over a body's leg and through a splash of blood; his ears listened for what his eyes couldn't see. There would be no survivors, no word that he had been the one to infiltrate this telecom center. He had disabled all security cameras and erased all recordings of the last twenty four hours before shutting down all power to the building.

He snapped his pistol to his right, and opened fire at the side of a wooden desk. A quick cry before the sound of a thump notified his final kill. Flicking the safety he holstered his pistol and removed the GPS from its pouch.

A new red blip blinked to the east, and was the sign that his evac was secured. Going over to the staircase he descended the flight of stairs down to the basement one last time. He travelled down the halls until he came to an already opened door.

Going inside he spotted the fuel tanks and gas canisters. Going over to a valve he broke it off which started hissing as gas began to fill the room. Leaving the room he reached to his side and removed a block of C4 which he had found in a concealed armory in the basement.

Setting it down outside the door he primed it and quickly left towards the staircase. Sprinting up the flight of stairs he walked passed all of the limp blood coated bodies on the main level and out the front door. As he approached the gate he glanced back at the silent facility, it was a dark shape in the night air. All the lights were shut off, no sound except for the slight bristling of leaves from the nearby forest.

Without another thought he climbed up and over the fence and started eastwards, at the treeline he stopped and turned around to face the building. His hand went to his chest and removed a detonator, eying the device he glanced back at the building and pulled the trigger.

There was a brief pause before the ground shook like a violent earthquake, followed by right after the windows blowing out in a burst of flames and the walls collapsing as the ground disappeared from underneath them.

He watched as the building crumbled into itself, the dozens of bodies being trapped in the fire and debris. The fire roared from the building covering the forest around with a bright orange glow.

With one last look, he turned to the forest and started East without a second thought.

* * *

**I'm a douche I know, it's been… What a month and a half? I know and I'm sorry, I've had this sitting on my computer half-finished for about a month, but I just couldn't bring myself to work on it. The same goes for _A Guardians Princess_. Which should be getting a chapter update rather soon, and this time I mean it.**

**Next chapter is going to be all Ash, chapter after that is going to be Ash and Misty moments. And then some other stuff and some more stuff after that. To keep a long story short this will be going back and forth between Misty and Alyssa moments, it's easier to write them separately then together.**

**I want to get… at least two more chapters up before Christmas, but I've been working on another story. A _very_ long one in which I'll post the description after this rant, and it's been taking my time away from AOP and AGP. So that's really the reason for a lack of updates.**

_The League of Stars is not for the weak, and Ash Ketchum has proved his strength, fighting to achieve what few have in the last few centuries. A Pokemon Master? No, a survivor. But first, one challenge separates him from competing. With ulterior motives, he must enter the Master's Cup to prove himself one last time to show that he's got what it takes._

**Or something along that lines.**

**Well after a long… Long absence, this is _ThatOneDwarf Signing Off!_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

The hardened plastic training knife drove closer to the soft flesh of his throat, with his shoulders pinned to the gym floor, and Domino straddling his chest he was defenseless, "Yield," She growled, her violet eyes narrowing as she pressed the blade deeper into his skin.

Ash merely grinned at her, making her apply more pressure, "Come... Come on Domino," He panted breathlessly, "I don't yield, you know that."

The blade pressed deeper, drawing a thin line of blood across his throat, "You'd be dead right now," She hissed angrily, "Arrogance will get you _nothing_ but a knife across your throat,"

His grin merely enlarged, "Than do it." He challenged dangerously, "Show me what could happen!"

She growled, "I'm not allowed to kill you, if I was, you'd be dead long ago. And Giovanni doesn't want his errand boy hurrgh-" She blinked and Ash cocked his head to the side curiously, a delighted smirk now over taking the grin.

"I-I'm sorry Dom," He chided, "What was that?"

Her eyes narrowed at him, attempting to speak she cursed mentally as her jaw and tongue were locked into place, "What's wrong?" He teased straining to roll one shoulder off of the ground, "Cat got your tongue?"

He managed to roll her frozen body off of himself before removing the training knife from her grip, he placed the hardened blade at her throat and pulled it gently across her skin, "Tisk Tisk Dom, let your guard down did you?"

She wanted to break his nose right there, but she couldn't help but be somewhat proud. "Let her go Esp," He called out helping her frozen body into a sitting position. The magenta cat fell suddenly from the ceiling in front of the pair, "You were excellent girl," He grinned stroking her silky fur.

He positioned himself behind Domino and began massaging her shoulders and back, "Espeon and I came up with an immobility attack, mixing Disable and Physic shuts down the body completely. Especially on people," Ash informed as her left side began to regain feeling.

"Freezes the muscles in your arms, legs, and we've been working on faces as well."

Domino remained silent, secretly loving the feeling of his rough hands working their way down her back. "Massaging is the best remedy for it, without proper relaxation after the attack it's possible for paralysis in certain regions."

His hands began working her sides, "Hit the shower," She ordered abruptly attempting to stand.

"Still have to work out the-"

She cut him off with a hard glare, "Our training is done for the day Shay," Her tone was not to be contradicted.

He nodded standing up, "Yes ma'am," He gave her a small nod before starting for the showers, Espeon slinking around his heels.

Once he passed through the doors Domino followed after him. Their training session had left both of them aching, and sweaty, both in dire need of a shower. Pushing into the locker room, her left hand snatched a towel off of a rack and she stopped in front of a locker.

She removed her clothing, stuck them in her locker, and wrapped the towel around her chest so that it covered her top and bottom. Removing the hair elastics from her hair she tossed them to the side and stepped into the showers.

There were no individual showers, or gender specific. All personal had to clean themselves in the same room, and currently it was just her and a stark naked Ash Ketchum who didn't even notice she had come into the room.

She slipped out of her towel and draped it over a nearby wall, before turning on the hot water to wash herself, as she did, her eyes roamed hungrily over Ashs toned body.

It had been four months since he had had his memory blanked, since he had forgotten who he really was. Since day one she had been reworking him in every way possible to change him from that idiot of an attempted hero to a cold blooded killer.

And by God her work was magnificent.

He had been well trained from when he had been sent to that Academy all those years ago, she had developed his training regime after all, but he had had to deal with the dumb blonde who couldn't protect herself for the life of her.

He was distracted by her, taking his focus away from getting faster, stronger, more cunning just to make sure that bitch was safe.

Yes in a very small way she found it admirable, but it was a very slim feeling.

But without his old distractions, without sympathy, without anything to give him comfort, he was faster, dangerous, stronger, agiler. In four months his skill in martial arts had increased ten fold of what he had learned at the Academy.

It was the firearms that surprised her greatly, she remembered all to well what she put him through to get him to accept the Ranger's training when he had first been taken into Rocket custody five years ago. For the life of her she couldn't remember such a crack shot, his shots precise to the minimalist detail. He could draw faster then she could comprehend, reload in a blur and be off again faster anyone in the world.

How he learned to shoot outside of training at the Academy was a mystery to everyone, and to such a level where she'd be damned if she ever had to face him in a stand off, she was trained in firearms to quite the degree, but Ash surpassed her in every area.

She ran the soap over her body, her violet eyes watching as Ash squirt body wash onto his hand and began applying it across his body. He didn't take notice of her watching at all. The thought was... Distracting, Ketchum refused or simply didn't care enough to spare her a glance.

And that annoyed her greatly, she was fit, beautiful, sexy, curvy, but he didn't seem to give a single fuck as he wash away the soap and started lathering his hair with shampoo. She knew for a fact that he was straight due to the Intel regarding him and the Gym Leader, so why hadn't he even spared her a glance.

God knows, even though she wished he didn't, that she spared him more glances than she would like. That damned puppy dog behaviour of when he first learned that she woul be his teacher got to her, he'd followed her around speaking to her, acting like her, doing _everything_ that she did.

It was annoying as hell, but it allowed her to shape him to _her_ specifications, so that he would do what _she_ liked. He was her project, her student. Not Giovanni's, so she had made him perfect.

For her.

Unknowingly.

And now that was back firing on her as he wouldn't even spare her a single glance, yes a small hello as they passed in the hallways, but that was it outside of his training.

_Nothing else._

She watched as he shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist before walking towards the lockers.

There _had _to be a reason, unless the memory wipe also cleared out his knowings of what males and females were supposed to do, she couldn't think of anything else.

She shut off the water and wrapped the towel around her chest, while wringing out her hair as she entered the empty lockers. Going over to hers she removed her uniform, changed, and left the gym.

She was going to ask him directly, not for her benefit, but for his training. On the off chance that he was to be captured and then miraculously seduced for information that would be on her head, even though she had taught him ways to ignore pain. Even though... This technically wasn't pain.

Domino strode down the hall, her eyes darting down each turn for a view of the raven haired young man.

She spotted him near the end of a hallway to her right, heading for the kitchens, she realized. Taking off in that direction, she entered the kitchens and spotted him stealthing his way around the kitchen, using the islands and opened cabinets to make his way over to a concealed nook.

She watched him as he began picking the lock on the nook, using what looked to be a butter knife and fork until the small door opened silently and he produced a green tinted glass bottle.

Shutting the door, he made his way back in her direction. Rolling from cover to cover, evading the line of sights of the chef's in the room, until his eyes locked with hers and rolled out of the kitchen and into the hallway, bottle clutched securely in hand, with two bent utensils in the other.

He grinned wearily at her, glancing from her accusing eyes to the bottle in hand and back to her, "I was thirsty?" He said chuckling nervously.

She snatched the bottle out of his hand and read the label, "Seems like a lot of work when you could just grab a bottle of water. Red wine, really?"

Her eyes watched him searching for the unsaid reasoning behind his action, "Practice and... I wanted a decent drink, that's it." He was being honest, that much she could tell, "Now can I have that back?"

Her eyes never left him as she shoved the bottle into his chest, his hand came up and stopped it from falling as her hand retreated, "I need you to answer a question for me." She stated getting to her real reasoning for being here, she could careless if he had stolen bottle of wine.

His eyebrow arched and she continued although a tad more awkwardly than she would have liked, "Do you find... well uh," God it was like giving someone _the talk,_ "Do you like girls?"

He blinked, and she had a momentary urge to claw his eyes out for making her speak to him about this, "Like find them... Attractive, tingly, _sexual thoughts!"_

His eyes started blinking rapidly, and for a brief second she believed that'd she'd broken him. Opening his mouth to reply, he quickly shut it with _clop_ and decidedly went back to blinking at her.

"Answer my question." She ordered firmly, "For training."

His blinking came to an abrupt halt, "Training?" His tone was curious, the one he used when he was asking a question on a new topic she was oging to teach him.

"Yes, Training... So?"

"W-Well..." He struggled with the answer, keeping his gaze steadily on the floor, "I-I _do._ But I'm not supposed to think those thoughts."

This time she blinked, "You're not?" She drawled sarcastically.

"Affection is a weakness," He recited, "You soften, and devote yourself to a person or object. Handing a piece of your soul over to them, which in time will be used against you. More harm comes from growing closer to a person, than to be secluded and alone. Your stronger on your own, the only weakness is yourself, nothing can be used against you. You worry for no one."

_Welp!_ She though exasperatedly, at least she understood where he was coming from now. She had drilled him to hard apparently, her teachings about not bonding with anyone outside of herself, Giovanni, and Espeon, were taken to heart.

"Shay," She said calmly, "You are correct, affection _is_ a weakness. The biggest so, it can be used to drive you insane, to make you do things you would have never believed possible."

"But it is not entirely bad, and right now i need you to be honest with me." He nodded seriously, "_Do you_ feel affection for anyone?"

The silence was drawn out, as he stared blankly at her. But her eyes never left his, she was going to retrain his damned beliefs on this subject if it killed her, "I'm not allow-" Her eyes narrowed into slits and he silenced.

"Do you..." She huffed out a breath, "Feel _affection_ for anyone?"

"Espeo-"

"Not Espeon, a _person!"_

He swallowed unsurely as her eyes flickered dangerously, "You."

_Bingo!_ She took a deep calming breath and spoke as calmly as possible, "And why have you never shown affection towards me, outside of saving me from being killed?"

"I'm not allow-"

She held up a hand signalling for him to shut up, "Do not resort to your fall back answer," She stated, "Truth, _right, now."_

He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the topic, he had learned that alcohol was a calming solution to stress so he went to remove the cork but had the bottle snatched once again out of his hand, "Answer."

"I... I don't know how to." He answered embarrassingly.

She blinked twice, not expecting that answer.

"What?" She asked dead pan.

"I don't know how to express. Affection. I haven't been taught."

_Oh dear god._ She thought excitedly, although that was concealed to the best of her ability, _The opportunity was there._ "You don't _know_ how to express yourself?"

He shook his head, and she glanced down to the bottle of wine in her hand, "Well you've got another lesson today." She stated heading towards where their rooms were located, "Come on."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-

The memory had a small smile playing on her lips as she marched through the comm-room doors in front of the large monitor.

She had taught him _a lot_ that day. Her affection for the Pokemon Trainer had been strong for him before that, but that day she had started shaping his personality and their relationship outside of teacher and student. The few months before, he had simply followed orders, trained, and was taught. A machine, until she had begun to socialize with him at the training facility.

In a way, his affection for her and vice versa helped him get better. Before he had no drive other than to get progressively better. But than he had her, he wanted to get better for her. And he did, for months before the voices and hallucinations begun.

He had learned everything from her, and she had been sent away to continue her duties. Only being called back on occasion to see how he was progressing, and when something serious happened. Such as the most recent shooting.

The monitor flickered to life, and Giovanni's face appeared, black eyes staring directly into her soul, "Sir!" She snapped a tight salute and kept a neutral face.

She knew why she had been contacted, there was only one reason.

"We've located him Domino..."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The motorcycle was truly a thing of beauty he found, going well over two-hundred down an empty highway was exhilarating. He had been sceptical when he located the bike in a storage shed in Celadon, but that was completely gone. Having travelled hard for a week straight to Ecruteak City, he was now driving down a winding pass that would eventually lead to a dead end deep within the surrounding forests.

The trip had been uneventful, three run ins with Officer Jenny's as he crossed the Kanto, Johto border, something he was sure he was going to get ripped on once he returned to the G-Men.

Or _if_ he returned to the G-Men, he was still entirely unsure of everything. His thoughts were wild, with what could or could not be the truth.

He hoped that this Academy Alyssa had sent him to would deliver some insight into what really had happened. That the woman the blond had spoken of would still be located at the facility, having a personal doctor seemed like something Giovanni would administer for him, especially if he used to be a thorn in Team Rockets side years before hand.

He slowed as he rounded a bend, bringing the bike to a stop he parked it behind a bush and shut off the ignition. Lifting a leg over the side, he went around to the side car and removed his vest and holster. He had removed the weaponry after the first... Incident with Jenny, apparently seeing someone armed with pistols and an array of knives was not a common occurrence outside of Rocket territory.

Slipping the vest back on, and attaching the holster around his hip he started into the bush. Alyssa had told him three clicks south of Ecruteak, he was about two point five clicks into the forest, meaning he had about a twenty minute jog ahead of him.

He was a shadow as he moved silently through the forest, feet nimbly stepping over dried twigs, and leaves that would crunch under foot. The dark of the forest did not deter him, nor the silence of the night.

Strangely enough it comforted him, it was just him alone with his thoughts. No urgency's, no death or blood, no anger. It was just a silent peace that surrounded him.

He moved in a crouch up to a bush, spreading it apart with both hands his eyes landed on the three sectioned building in front of him. Massive chain link fence surrounding the perimeter, barred windows, flood lights...

How the hell did he get out of there on his own? Fuck, how the hell was he going to get _in_ on his own? Reaching into a pouch on his vest he removed a silencer before securing it onto one of his hand guns.

He set the pistol onto the ground and removed his vest, taking one of the knives and slipping it into a concealed sheath in boot. He'd need to go in undercover.

Positioning his vest behind the bush away from any sight-lines of the building, he stuck the hand gun into his waistband and dropped the holster down onto the ground.

Removing the Pokeball from his side, Espeon emerged in a flicker of red light, pink eyes watching interestedly, "Stay in the shadows," He whispered gliding out from behind the bush and into the shadows that were caste out onto the clearing.

He was a wraith, moving from shadow to shadow until he was at the point where he would have to make a break for the chain link fence, "Disable if we're spotted, freeze them." And than he was sprinting, a magenta blur at his heel as the moonlight shone down on him, casting a long shadow behind him.

He was up and over the fence in half a second, his arms hoisting him up and over before he hit the ground in a roll. So far nothing, he really shouldn't have been surprised, why the hell would they be expected to be attacked?

At least at the facility he was at they had been prepared on the off chance that anyone had learned that he was alive and kicking. He sprinted up to the towering wall of the building, throwing his back against it.

He gestured with his index and middle finger towards the corner of the building. Espeon nodded and silently moved over to the area and peered around, eyes glowing a feint red as she scanned over the area.

Her eyes turned back to him and she pawed twice at the grass, there was a target. He moved over to her, and glanced briefly around the corner, a patrol stood idly down the field, pokeball on his hip, and hands clasped behind his head.

Espeon awaited her command, Ash brought his right index finger up and swiped it across his forehead. Espeon nodded and crawled belly to the ground out into the open. Her eyes roamed around for a loose object, until they landed on a reasonably sized rock. Her tail swished to the side and Ash tensed, one eye staring directly at the Rocket member.

Espeon's eyes shone blue and the rock rose steadily off the ground and into the air, it travelled down the field towards the Rocket. And than it soared forward, it spun end over end until it landed a few meters in front of the Rocket with a dull thud.

He jumped as the stone hit the ground, glancing around he saw no one and went to inspect it. And immediately Ash had covered half the distance between them, the Rocket bent over to pick it up, but his hand never reached it as Ash hooked an arm around his neck and placed him into an inescapable headlock.

He flailed, choking for help, as the blood flow to his head begun to cease, until his wild movements grew slower and finally halting altogether.

Ash drug the body against the wall and began unclothing the Rocket. He slipped on the black shirt with the red R, the light grey gloves, black sweatpants and, grey boots, before standing up and patting himself down.

He felt the rectangular card in his pocket, he now had access to the building. He nodded at the body, and pointed to the roof. Eyes glowing blue, the Rocket member was lift off the ground and into the air, high above them until he disappeared over the roof.

"Return Esp," He whispered holding out the red and white sphere, "Your work here is done for now." Replacing the Pokeball to his hip he started down the perimeter in search of the door.

He eventually found it on the other side of the building, using the key card he fought down the smirk as the lock flashed green and opened for him.

To say the nostalgia hit him would be the understatement of the year.

It came crashing down on him like a waterfall, he didn't remember where he was, yet he knew where he was. He remembered without actually remembering, the feeling of experiencing something after so long engulfed him as he started down the hallway.

He was in the south wing he remembered, or knew was a better term. The halls were empty as the trainees were all asleep in the dorms, his footsteps echoed with each step. He didn't seem to care as he passed doors upon doors.

A class room, they had taught him... Tracking, yes tracking in there. How he knew that he didn't care, he just did. Another room, with large black doors lay in front of him and he pushed them open. A gym, _the_ gym from his dream.

He stepped inside and walked into the center of the room, he'd been here. Oh God he knew he had been there before, he could almost hear the lessons being drilled into his-

_Prime prime ape!_

A young, pained laugh, _Nice one, won't be so lucky next time though_

He blinked and tried to loosen his mind, tried to will the voices back, tried to allow them to access his mind.

_Come on your Highness!_ A female taunted him, _Giovanni's heir must be able to dance if she want's to rule the Country!_

His eyebrows contracted together at the statement, Giovanni's heir. Was that why-

_That's three Ketchum!_ A voice barked into his ear, _Two-hundred and ninety seven to go!_

_I-I can't... _A pant, _It's to much! AH!_ He winced, a hand clutching the right side of his ribcage as if someone had delivered a swift kick to his midsection.

_Almost got it Aly, anticipate my movements_

He swallowed and glanced once more around the gym, after a minute of prolonged silence he supposed that was the end of that, and decidedly left the gym and back down the halls.

The voices came back time and time again, not only voices, but smells, and pains in his sides, back, legs. He was aching by the time he made it to the northern sector, but he willed it on. He _wanted_ to feel the pain, hear the taunts, Alyssa's voice.

He eventually came passed a door that made him freeze in his tracks. A nurse, she had said to look for a nurse. And he knew for a fact, not sure how but he did. That this was the only infirmary in the building.

He stepped into the room, rows of empty, made cots lined the walls. Cabinets, a sink off to one side. The nostalgia was off the charts, just by looking at the cots, he could remember which ones he'd lain in, which injury had sent him there.

It was so odd, to not know who you were. Slowly unraveling your past with little tidbits of information that led to bigger bits, and then even larger bits after that. One small word, sound, smell, triggered all sorts of responses, he was glad he had yet to hallucinate here yet, on the chance that he did something he'd regret.

He sat down on a random cot, _Keep off that leg for a few weeks got it?_

_I'll try to Sue-_

_Try to my ass Ash, I catch word yar walking, worken out, or just plain standing on that ankle I'll have you confined to this room until I deem ya fit for anything!_

A laugh, Alyssa's. _I'll keep em off it Sue,least I can do for ya_

His eyebrows furrowed, _Thank ya darlin, if he even gives you a lick of trouble come see me and I'll deal with him proper-_

"Can I help ya?"

His head snapped right and his hand instinctively went to the butt of the gun protruding form his waistband, the room was dark and he couldn't make out her appearance.

But he had recognized the voice immediately.

"Sue."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Her Pokegear rang, once, twice, three times. And then there was a pause, soon followed after by the ringing once again.

Misty let her thumb run carefully over the answer button, he had called nine times within the past few days, and all she had to do was pick up. Pick up, say they were over and end the call. Three easy steps, three easy steps that she just could not bring herself to do.

Gary would ask for an explanation, he'd ask where she was and was she okay. And then as soon as she would say that they had to break up he would ask why.

And what would she say? That her dead, but not dead boyfriend was fighting a war with Team Rocket while being allied with the Pokemon G-Men. Oh, that his memory had been tampered with so that he did not recognize -or he had with an intent to kill- any of them, that he was a member of Team Rocket.

So she was currently with Delia and Alyssa at the G-Men headquarters until Team Rocket was once and for all disbanded or... Or the more likely chance of Ash getting killed, _actually_ killed. He was the reason for all this after all, for what ever reason. So the entire situation depended heavily on his actions.

That was a fair reason after all. Right?

On the eighth ring she clicked answer and brought the Pokegear up to her ear, her breathing uneasy.

"Misty? Misty hello?" Gary's voice came through on the other end, she could hear the concern and uncertainty in his voice.

"Misty where ar-" She ended the call immediately, not yet. She couldn't end it yet, not... Not until she was sure everything would turn out fine. Not until Ash had gotten a dose of what ever the G-Men were cooking up for him.

She placed her phone down on the bedside table in her room, and immediately the ringing begun once again.

* * *

**Keeping this short. **

**This chapter was a bitch. It's done and I can finally get this in gear. I set myself up for the short Ecruteak story line, something I did not originally plan on so this was written out my ass. But it's done, I know how next chapter is going down, I've already written future chapters for this story as well in the down time.**

**So bare with me as I _attempt_ to get more then monthly updates for this story out.**

**I've got about seven other story ideas I want to do, whether I do them or not I don't know. That is another reason as to why this chapter took so long to come out, when I'm distracted by other topics, those tend to get more attention the older ones.**

**Now, AGP next chapter is two thirds done, CC's Next chapter is written (Has been for months) But is not quite up to standards with how I want it to be, so there will be sometime until that is out. **

**Christmas one shot hopefully out later today as well, and if it is I'm going into AGP.**

**I've been writing like a crazy mafah lately, so a bit more patients and I swear I'll be updating more often.**

**Lastly please read and review, mean a ton to me after the long wait. Also I've bumped up the rating to M because I'm trying to get outside my comfort zone, and for the stuff that I've written... Well I don't entirely hate it.**

**But no sex, I flat out refuse to right that stuff. I'll imply it, but not write it.**

**Guess that wasn't so short after all...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The brunette nurse squinted in the dark at the visitor, "What can I help ya with young man?" She had been in her office working when she had heard the boy enter the infirmary.

Going over to the light switch she flipped it on and turned back to the Rocket, "If it's a wet dre...Good God almighty I'm dreamin." She whispered as she saw him, he looked so much older since when she had last seen him.

His hair was long, face more matured, but it was him. "Ash,"

Her eyes drifted to where his hand rested on the gun, "What the hell are ya doing here," She whispered going over to the doors and locking them shut, "What even happened to you! You left Alyssa here alone, do you know what she went-"

"Alyssa is safe," He said slowly getting off the cot.

Her eyes went wide and she came forward anxiously, "She's alright, you've been in contact with her!?"

He blinked, "More or less," He saw that wasn't the answer she'd been hoping for so he continued on, "It's... Well it would take a lot more than a day to fully explain,"

Her eyebrows furrowed concernedly, "Why did ya leave all them years ago boy, you caused some hell around here as they searched for ya,"

"I don't have an answers," He said quietly, "It's a _very_ long story Sue, one I'm not entirely sure of myself... That's why I came here,"

"Whadda ya mean," She eyed him curiously, "And the gun, you'd rather die than pull a trigger."

His head tilted conceding the point, "Well I died," He stated simply, "Few times if what I learned is true."

Sue regarded him suspiciously, something was off about him. "Explain,"

He shook his head standing up, "I need to know how to get to the sub-basements," He informed her slowly, "There's... Something down there I need."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "That is?"

He mumbled something under his breath, "I've had my... Memory blanked Sue, I'm here to... Get clues as to _who_ I am, Ash Ketchum or... Shayne, I don't know."

Her raised eyebrow clearly stated she didnt believe him, but she decided to play along, "I'll bite boy," She started, "What ya want to know?"

He blinked, _what _did_ he want to know?_ "I-I don't know anything, medical history, fights, routines, anything. Our relationship, Alyssa's and I's, Everyone elses and I's, _anything!"_

"Well, you and I saw each other a lot, with you picken fights with anyone who decided, or attempted to lay a hand on Alyssa. Ya hated everyone but us, had some... Rough times early, first year was the roughest. Suicide attempts, starvation, dehydration, you tried a few ways to get outta here. None worked, it was a good think 'Lyssa showed up when she did. Saved you from going all the way through with the attempts."

"Really, suicide?" He asked quietly, he wouldn't put it passed him honestly. Seems like he had always been a loose nail.

"Ay," She continued, "With everything ya went through, and there was alot, you wanted to opt out quite a few times."

"What _did_ I go through?"

Her eyes looked him up and down, his brown eyes were filled with curiosity. Cracking her neck she went over to one of the cabinets and pulled one open. Getting down onto a knee, she skimmed through the folders and pulled out a thick stack, "Here are my recorded ones, course you and Alyssa never came for every little bit a trouble you two got in. But for most ya came to see me."

She handed him the stack and he skimmed it quickly, "Do you have Alyssa's?" He asked intriguingly.

"Where is she?" Sue rebutted, and Ash bit his lip, "Tell me where the gal is and I'll get the folders."

Ash glanced down to the stack he held, it was fairly weighty. Looking back up to Sue he examined her quickly, she wore a long green dress, and had her hair tied back in a bun. She looked tired, not from the conversation but from time.

She was getting worn down with the mandatory needs here at the Academy, "I'll get you out." He offered seriously, "You can be done with Team Rocket. For good, just as I am. Just like Alys-"

"Woah woah hang on a second boy," She interrupted waving her hands back and forth, "Ain't know body said anything bout-"

"You hate it here." It was a statement, and he saw that he was correct, a feint stiffing in her posture. "I can keep you safe, I know you'll be safe. You can see Alyssa again,"

"Where is she?" She asked shakily, "I haven't heard from her since she graduated, I thought her dead with what she went through here."

"She's alive, and safe. She can tell you every- or most of what's been going on the past few years. My memory _has_ been wiped. I don't know you, I know that you helped Alyssa and I here. That's about it, you can come with me and tell me what we were like. Come with me and you'll be under the protection of a group who would keep the Rockets miles away."

Sue was wavering, so Ash lied or didn't lie. He didn't know if it was the truth, "Alyssa misses you, she spoke fondly of you. I'm still learning about er', but the way she spoke of you she would love to see you again."

"How can I leave though, a bullet would be in my back in a blink of an eye if we were seen running outta here. I ain't young anymore,"

Ash glanced around, "There'll be an armoury yes?" He asked seriously.

She nodded, "If ya expect me to run outta here guns blazin yar out of your mind."

"You'll be flyin," Ash stated, "If you have any belongings that hold emotional attachment, pack em' into a bag." He handed her the files, "Place these and Alyssa's in there as well,"

She stared at him, just stared. He wasn't... Ash, not the one she remembered, there had been energy behind his actions, emotion. This Ash, just wanted to fulfil a mission.

It was a weird feeling to see someone who had so much heart, suddenly become a machine... She supposed it wasn't suddenly however, it had been over three months since she last saw him after all.

"Now where is the sub-basement?" He asked steadily, this was where he had been apparently tortured, than he was going to remember how, and by _who._

She went over to a desk and picked up a key card, "This'll get you down there. Third and forth floors are the sub-basements... What are you looking for exactly down there, which... Memory?"

After a pause, "Torture."

She swallowed sickly, "You'll.. You'll want the fourth floor down then, keeps the umm..." She cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Screams at bay..."

He reached into his own pocket and pulled out the key card he had stolen, "Get to the roof once you've got your belongings. I'll be up there once I've gotten everything."

He gave her a tilt of the head before starting for the closed door, "Boy?" She asked as he pulled it open, "It really is great ta see ya again."

He hesitated, before he stepped into the halls once again.

He passed more doors, voice's speaking to him in the far reaches of his mind, he made his way over to an elevator and swiped the card key. He briefly considered while the elevator descended into the depths of the Ecruteak Academy if he should make a stop by his old room.

Memories would be prominent there, that was guaranteed. But he had Sue now, and those files. That was more than a bonus. She could explain along with Alyssa the injuries in detail. It'd help him learn more about his and Alyssa's relationship as well, something he was quite curious about.

The elevator door rolled open and he stepped into the chill of the room. Now he could feel why this room was used. Silent, cold, dark... He walked forward, hand removing the pistol from his waistband. The action alone helped still his beating heart.

Moving to the centre, his head knocked against a dangling object. Reaching up he grasped it, instantly knowing what it was, tugging, the room lit up.

He stumbled to a knee as he felt the air driven from his lungs, the pistol clattered to the ground and he clutched his shirt in a fist.

His eyes darted around the room, everything was stone. There was a wooden table, metal tub, rope. That was it-

_Now Ash_ Giovanni... The tone was a soothing calm, almost too so. _Do we _really_ need to go through all of this again_

A wheeze, and he felt his lungs burn. _I..._ A coughing fit..._ Won't do it... Nothing could make me-_ His head snapped to the right as if he'd been struck against his left cheek.

_Hook em up boys!_ His heart ached at the voice, don't let it be- His body felt wet, although he was perfectly dry. It felt like some poured a bucket of water across his head, and put him in... His eyes narrowed on the tub.

Two clashes of metal against each other. _There's two ways this is going to end_ His body arched as electricity suddenly coursed through his nerves, and then it came to a abrupt end. _Say yes, and get it over with. Or we can go through this, over and over again until you give in. _

Domino... She wouldn't- His body spasm'd as the electricity, starting at his cheek, racked at his body.

_G-Go..._ His voice trembled, _Go to hell..._ And then the shocking began, him not responding as Giovanni and Domino spoke to him. As they tortured him.

And then it stopped, the air was sucked in and the pain elevated. And he lay there on his back against the cool concrete until his adrenaline dropped.

He sat up slowly, holding himself up with an arm planted firmly on the ground behind him. _IT'S NOT MY FAULT!_

His voice was hoarse, and his body tensed. On his own accord, not the voices. _You killed him-_

_He was going to kill me! I fucking should hav-_ A fist struck his right cheek this time, _I didn't want to... He was going to hurt her!_

_THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE LET IT HAPPEN! _Giovanni roared at him, and he crawled backwards in shock. This wasn't real, he _knew_ that... But.

_If they..._ A cough,_If _anyone_ tries something like that again... I don't care, I'll kill them before I let anyone near er'_

And then silence... Drawn out, he sat there, seconds, tens, a minute, two... Was it over? Was that all he was going to get? A hallucination, or memory flash?

Another minute passed and he got to his knees, nothing happened. Hesitantly he stood, feeling a little uneasy on his feet, but he ignored the feeling.

He was done here... He hoped so anyway.

Entering the elevator he went back to the main floor, he need to locate the armoury. He replaced the pistol into his waistband and started down a hallway, he'd fined it. Didn't know how but he would locate it.

He was glad the hallways were dark, he had passed a few stray Rockets who had given him a couple of glances. They didn't sound the alarm though, the butt of the gun was black so that it mixed well with his shirt and pants in the dark. Had the lights all been on, the alarm would have been sounded ages ago.

He turned another random corner, as he was halfway down another voice spoke to him.

"Hey scrub!" Ash halt in his step and resisted looking over his shoulder, "What are you doing out of bed!?" Foot steps approached him from behind, "I asked you a question and I expect an answer!"

Ash scrolled through his memories as fast as he could. This voice... He had heard it, the name escaped him though... So he risked turning around.

When the Rocket saw Ash's face, he staggered backwards and fell to the ground in horror, "K-Ketchum!" He exclaimed in horror, as remembrance sprang into his mind.

"Oh..." Ash crooned softly, "Never thought I'd see you again Chris..." His eyes were locked on the ginger twenty three year old in front of him. The nose was far off center, his work if he recalled correctly. "What are you still doing here, huh? Picking on new recruits?"

"Y-Your supposed to be dead!" He pushed himself back, but Ash kept coming towards him, "When you-you broke out the Houndoom got ya!"

His head tilted to the side, "That what they say?" Ash asked himself, "Well seems your higher ups lied to you..."

"Why are you here?" Chris hissed as his back hit the wall, "Why would you come back?"

"Tell me where the armoury is," He said slowly, "And I won't lay a hand on you."

"Fuck you!" He spat angrily, "You lived here long enough so find it! Is that the reason you came back? You wanted a tour, the Princess wanted to return to her cast-"

A spark of anger flickered in Ash, he ripped the ginger up to his feet by the collar and with a single jab shattered his nose, "_WHERE IS THE ARMOURY!?" _He growled holding Chris off his feet against the wall.

Removing one hand from his collar, he gripped his pistol and placed it under Chris's chin, "I've been fucked for to long by Team Rocket," He said through gritted teeth, "I won't be again, so tell me... Where, is, _the armoury?"_

Chris's pale face, now a sheet of white with a river of blood flowing from his broken nose, shrieked as the barrel touched his skin, "D-D-Down the hall to the right! Third door!"

Ash glared into his eyes, and could see the truth as if it was written in ink. Now he had to decide, let him live, or die...

It wasn't to late to stop killing. But had he never _not_ killed since being with Team Rocket? Alyssa had told him he _had_ killed. But whether that was in the academy or not he didn't know... But what about what Giovanni had said? He _had_ killed someone. _At the Academy..._

Chris would let him know that it was him who had come back, but the security cameras would have caught everything anyways...

So he swung the butt of the handgun down onto Chris's temple, knocking him out cold. And then he was running, Pistol at the ready as he rounded the corner. Going down three doors, he swiped the card into the lock and stepped into the armoury.

Guns, Knives, training equipment, _Pokeballs..._ He went over to the shelves of Pokemon and searched through the selections. Electric, Water, Fire, Grass, Flying!

He scanned the assortment, searching for one big enough for him and Sue. His hand rested on a Ultraball, the label beneath reading _Aerodactyl. _Strong, Fast, awesome. He swiped it off the shelve and slotted it next to Espeons.

Bursting through the doors, he ran down the halls, passed the limp body, and over to the elevator. Stepping in, he pressed for the roof, and felt the lurch as he began to ascend.

They'd have to swoop in and collect the vest and holster as they returned to the bike. There, he'd give Aerodactyl the opportunity to stick with him, or be free. It's decision.

When the door rolled open he was relieved to see Sue already there. "Had I know, you would have taken forty five minutes, I would have brought an extra jacket." Sue drawled irritably, it was noticeably chilly in the late night, early morning.

Ash removed the Rocket shirt and tossed it at her, "Won't need that," He stated now wearing his tank top.

"What happened to that guy over there?" He didn't even need to ask what she meant.

"You're borrowing his shirt."

She grimaced slipping on the sweat shirt, "Nice..."

Ash unclipped the Pokeball and prayed that this would work, hitting the release, the 6ft Prehistoric Pokemon emerged in the flash of light.

It opened it's long jaws to cry out, but Ash shot it down with a hard stare. "Quiet, you'll take us to where I order. And then you have the choice to be set free or to come with me, it is your decision."

It blinked at him, but bent over and allowed him to climb on. "Sue," He helped her securely onto the Prehistoric Pokemons back before he hopped on himself.

With a awkward running start, the Aerodactyl leapt off the roof and into a glide towards the tree tops. Ash ordered it down to the trees, the spot in which he left this vest, and told it to fly low. As soon as they were over top of it, Ash leaned to the side, snagged the vest with his index finger, and the holster with his middle, he commanded to gain altitude. Sue was in awe as she looked down to the earth far below, "Where are we goin?" She asked hesitantly.

"I'll be taking you to the G-Men headquarters. It's safe there, and once Team Rocket is shut down, you'll have a place to stay."

Green eyes watched him uncertainly, "We're _against_ the G-Men," She stated.

"You'll like it there more then with Team Rocket trust me." He remained silent until the small dirt road appeared in the forest below, "Land down there."

Aerodactyl glided gracefully to the small opening, landing with a small _clomp_ before bending over and allowing them to disembark. "Thank you," Ash rubbed it's snout gently, "Now would you like to go free? If so I'll destroy the Pokeball. I know for a fact Team Rocket hadn't treated you right, so I wouldn't blame you if you took off."

It's large eyes regarded him curiously, a random Trainer, noticeably _kinder_ then the others, was giving him the chance to be free in a world it didn't understand. It would take off, but not yet. Not until it understood where and how it could survive on its own.

It cooed quietly before nudging the Pokeball at his side, and returning to the red and white orb.

Going behind the bush where he hid his bike, he slipped on his vest, attached his holster, and returned his pistol to it's rightful home.

Sue came up next to him as he put his leg across the seat and gave it a kick start, the engine roared then quiet to a hum. Sue saw him tilt his head to the side car and she sighed, it was going to be a _long,_ uncomfortable ride.

* * *

**Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays all. **

**Hope you all have an awesome Christmas, and Happy New Year.**

**Probably won't be updating until than, so I'll see you all later!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The return trip had taken them ten days without a rest, only stopping to refuel once every so often. It had been fairly uneventful, no pursuit by any Rockets, no sudden ambushes or attacks.

He didn't like it, but didn't let it show.

Giovanni would have gotten word day's ago, and someone should have been sent after them. But nothing, it was just them zipping down the long winding trail adjacent to the river that ran through Fennel Valley.

Ash glanced at Sue, the brunette nurse had been deep asleep for the past few hours, and had rarely said a word the entire trip. He could tell that she was hesitant, afraid of what was to come. Having run away from Team Rocket, after working for them for... _Years_, to wildly follow some kid you knew long ago to some place safe?

He admired her though, she had chosen to come with him without hesitation. She knew the risks, knew the consequences of what would happen to her if they were caught. But she still came along with him anyways, probably for Alyssa he figured. But came along none the less.

He pulled back on the throttle and the bike accelerated towards an incline positioned at the rivers edge. Split second later, the bike was soaring over the rapids, and then back on land on the other side.

The landing shook up a dust cloud behind them as they road down a just noticeable trail. The path was long winding, lefts, rights, bends, inclines. But after a fifteen minutes ride, the headquarters came into view.

A gate lay at the end of the path, and he saw a welcome party waiting for them, Pokeballs in hand. A flood light winked on and shone down on them, Sue stirred, "Turn off the damn light," She murmured sitting up straight.

Ash ignored her and slowed the bike and came to a stop a few feet in front of the group, "Ketchum," A man came forward and gave him a tilt of his head, "Drive round back, and report to the comm-room immediately, the Champions are waiting for you."

He tilted his head in response as the gate creaked open. He did as told and drove around back to a garage. He parked the bike, and helped Sue out of the side car. Her back stiff and aching from the long journey, "We'll go see the Champions, and get you a room. It's late so Alyssa should be asleep," Ash said lifting the seat of the side car and removing the backpack that housed all of the files he had recovered from the tel-comm Facility as well as his and Alyssa's medical files.

"She really is ere?" Sue asked as he slung the bag over one shoulder and waved for her to follow him.

"She is, she'll explain what's been going on. I've been learning as I go." They stepped into an elevator, and he pressed the button for the floor where the Champions waited for him.

The ride up was quiet, the quiet _ding_ sounding as the door open allowing them to step out. "Just down here," He said starting down the hallway. Sue was glancing at everyone and everything, half expecting someone to come out of nowhere and arrest her, "You'll be fine,"

"Dunno bout that, does look pretty nice round here though." She muttered as Ash pushed open a door, holding it open for her before shutting it behind him.

"Just what the hell kind of stunt was that!" Ash blinked and saw Lance walking rigidly towards him, "Johto? JOHTO? You run off to Johto for what? A nice vacation to visit Team Rocket!?" Lance's eyes narrowed dangerously, "We thought you had gone and deserted us! Please explain why-"

"Lance," Cynthia interrupted exasperatedly, "Calm down and let him speak."

Lance backed away and sat down tensely in a chair, "Better be good." He grumbled agitatedly.

Ash could tell that the three hadn't been sleeping well, his doing no doubt. He could see that they had been woken up as well, about four AM, and he just casually strolls in.

"I'm sorry," He meant it, he truly did, "I recovered documents from the center, and then-"

"Blew it straight to hell we know! Move on!"

Ash blinked, he'd ignore the outburst, "I wanted to go to Ecruteak, where I was originally trained. See if I could remember anything. And I did."

Cynthia opened her mouth to speak but he continued, "Sue here," He gestured to the nurse, "Was my doctor at the Academy, she's disbanded Team Rocket, and needs some place to stay until this is over. She'll be staying here for safety." His tone told them not to argue, so the three nodded.

"Where are the files?" Cynthia asked politely, "We could use some good news right now."

Ash's eyebrows furrowed but she shook her head at the question, "Later."

Removing the bag from his shoulder, he brought it over to a table and began removing the stacks, making sure to set his and Alyssa's off to the side. "Saffron, Silph Co, Shadow," He gestured to three stacks, "Celadon and Cerulean,"

Cynthia came up beside him and examined the stacks, "Have you looked into them at all?" He shook his head, "We'll get on it in the morning then, you can debrief us then, hopefully you'll recognize something."

He took the two medical files and tucked them under his arm, "We'll need a room for Sue,"

Steven spoke at last, "We'll have a room prepared for her tomorrow, for now she can sleep in the room across from your own. It is unlocked, and should be suitable for the night."

He gave a curt nod and opened the door for Sue, "There'll be a shower in your room, and I'll hunt down some spare clothing for you to sleep in. In the morning I'll bring you to Alyssa,"

"Ya know boy," She said quietly, his eyes looked to her, "Thank ya for this honestly, I had a feeling I was gonna be canned for someone younger in the coming weeks. Injuries had been more frequent the passed year or so, and I've been drained with all the physical work I was needed to do."

His eyes never left her, "The past year?" He asked as they neared the rooms.

"Ay, Recruits are being trained right away with Pokemon, nasty creatures they are. Don't know where they got em,' all I know is that I've had to tend to more then a few bites and clawing's. Not pretty."

"Interesting..." He muttered under his breath, "Here's your room, if you need anything that's my door," He pointed to the one behind him, "I'll leave you a change of clothes outside your door, and we'll find you something more permanent within the next few days."

Sue wrapped her arms around him and he stiffened briefly, "Thank ya Ash, I'll see ya in the mornin."

Hesitantly he returned the hug, "No problem Sue... Best you get yourself comfortable."

Once she was in her room, he had left to find her some clothing. Five minutes, and three stolen uniforms later he left them outside her door and entered his own.

He released Espeon and she promptly curled up on his bed as he began to unbuckle his vest. He was exhausted, well over two weeks without sleep, constant exercise. He was ready to drop dead, the vest fell to the ground and he peeled off the tank top, the sweaty garment sticking to his body.

He groaned sitting down on the edge of the bed, removing the knives from his boots, holsters dangling from his hips. Removing everything from his body except his jeans, he placed his equipment onto the dresser and fell onto his bed.

Sleep claiming him as soon as his head touched the pillow.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He only awoke the following morning due to the presence he felt watching him, he doubted it was someone coming to kill him in his sleep as they'd been watching him for over twenty minutes, but it was still unsettling.

"Can... Can you not watch me?" He mumbled into his pillow, he felt Espeon pressed up against his back.

"Pikapi chuka pikachu..."

He let out a deep sigh, "Pikachu... Let me sleep, I'll explain later." He grumbled tiredly.

"Pi cha pikachu pika pika?"

"Don't know if you know her, but does Sue ring a bell?"

After a brief pause, "Pi."

"Well she's..." His voice started getting distant, "Brought er' here, now leave me alone."

"Chuka?"

"I-I don't know, haven't seen her yet. What time is it?"

"Cha Pi,"

It took every ounce of strength to groan out loud, it was two in the afternoon, "Another hour, and I'll get up deal?"

"Pika Chuka Chupi, chaka chu?"

"Well good for them," Ash mumbled pulling a pillow over his head, "Save's me the introductions. Now leave or come here, I need sleep."

Pikachu reluctantly waddled over to him and curled up into his chest contently, he'd get the story later. As long as Ash promised to _tell_ him he was leaving before something then he was fi-

The bedroom door slammed back on it's hinges and Ash cursed into his pillow, "I'm sleeping get ou- Hggh!" He gasped as something landed on top of him, "What the he-"

"You brought her back!" Alyssa exclaimed a bright grin lighting up her face, she removed the pillow blocking her view of his face and he groaned once again.

"Yea... Now leave..." He moaned, his hand searched around for a sheet to pull above his head, but found nothing.

"Why though, she said you jus-"

"Alyssa," He said slowly, reluctantly opening his eyes to the the ecstatic blond, "I haven't slept in two weeks. I'm tired, I'm sore, I'll answer your questions later alright?"

She frowned, but it was to hard to keep on her face as the grin reappeared, "Fine, but I want the full story,"

"Yeah, you and everyone else. Now G'night," He shut his eyes and attempted to fall back asleep.

However his eyes blinked open as he felt something warm and soft brush against his cheek. Blushing red, Alyssa muttered, "Thank you," And quickly rolled off the bed and out the door.

He lay there for a solid minute and a half, just feeling where her lips had brushed against his skin, warm and soft. Re-shutting his eyes he tossed the feeling aside, had he been expecting a memory or voices to come from that? Maybe, but nothing came so he removed the action from his mind.

She was thanking him, that was it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Picking up the phone, Lance brought it to his ear, "Mr. Goodshow," He greeted tensely.

"Good afternoon Lance, I'm calling in regards to your battle,"

The Kanto, Johto Champion nodded to himself, he knew this, "To confirm the date yes?"

A pause, "Well, actually Lance, yes and no." His eyebrows furrowed, "You've been scheduled _two_ battles, a Trainer has defeated the Elites again, and has requested the same date as the other battle."

They weren't holding back were they? "Two... Two championship battles in a single day?" He asked incredulously! "How am I supposed to-

"Lance you and I both know that you cannot change the date in which the battle is requested. The Indigo and Johto Leagues are under different contracts so the challenges _cannot_ be postponed,"

Lance looked around his office disbelievingly, he bet he could easily postpone the matches if he said that the to challengers were Team Rocket Elites. They'd cancel it _immediately!_ But he couldn't so he resigned with a sigh, "Alright Charles, what is the date of the two matches?"

"A week from today I'm afraid, I know this doesn't give you much time to prepare yourself, but I wish you luck in the matches."

Lance cursed in his mind, a week that day, was the day of the Goldenrod League Banquet. The banquet where they were planning a take down of a high ranking member of Team Rocket, "Thank you Charles, I'll see you at the battles."

With that he replaced the phone and cursed out loud, _two_ championship battles, and a high-priority take down that he wouldn't be able to attendant. _Damn._

Getting up from his seat, he picked up a stack of files in which Ash had retrieved, the one labelled _Shadow_, and started for the door. He'd have to discuss this with Steven and Cynthia.

He went immediately for the command center, entering he saw Steven and Cynthia huddled around an assortment of documents, while Ash sat in a chair, feet up on a table, and a folder in hand, "Cynthia, Steven. We need to discuss something."

Looking away from their documents, they noticed the urgency in his voice, "If you'll excuse us Ash," He gave the blond a small tilt of his head and the Champions stepped out into the hall.

Steven stretched, "Problem?" He asked.

"I just got a call from Charles,"

"About your match?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, except I've got _two_ matches, and they are both on the day of the Banquet."

The blond, and steel blued haired champions looked at him in disbelief, "Two match's?" Steven whispered, "Two!?"

"Team Rocket is cleaning house, they want my title right now."

Cynthia cursed and turned her back to the two, she didn't want them to see the worry in her eyes. Thing's were moving along to quickly now, far to quickly. It wasn't even a month since Steven lost his title, and now they were going to get both of Lances?

Then it was her, they were saving the hardest for last... It was a known fact that she was the most accomplished, and strongest of the three. Even the others had admitted that that was true.

But would she be able to stop- "What have you read about the Shadow Pokemon?" She whispered slowly, "Anything useful? Any manufacturing facilities?"

The red haired champion pursed his lips, "Small facilities yes, but the process is slow, painstakingly so, so they only give those Pokemon to trainees... No larger facilities unfortunately."

"Would Ash know? He's faced-"

"He doesn't remember that," Steven interrupted, "It would be a goose chase, we _need_ to capture the business man. As long as one of us retains our title, Team Rocket _cannot_ take over the League."

Cynthia ran a hand through her hair, things were getting out of hand. They knew Lance wouldn't be able to retain both titles, he had two reserves, and his main roster would be exhausted after the first of the battles.

"Lance you'll have to miss the banquet, try and defeat one of the Rockets and hope that we can locate and capture the business man. That's all we have as an option."

Lance nodded in defeat, all they could do was hope that he would be able to secure one of his titles, that was all they could hope for.

There was a faint knock and then the door behind them opened, Ash stuck his head out an asked, "Am I interrupting?"

"It's alright Ash, we just finished,"

"Well the Saffron documents are useless, only real importance is a few imports of heavy machinery into Cerulean, and to..." He glanced to something on the other side of the door, "Farwind Mountains, other then that, scrap paper."

"We'll look into it, set the reports down by our stacks. You're free to go, I believe you've got some... Catching up to due as well today, we will call you back if we find anything you may be able to help us with."

Giving a small nod, he disappeared once more behind the door.

Once the door shut, Steven looked to the two, "We could bring in Ash as a replacement."

When neither Cynthia or Lance objected to the idea, he added on, "It's risky yes, but he'd be perfect. He knows how to be silent, how to..." He cleared his throat, "Subdue targets, if we prepare him, we'd have the target in no time."

"I think we should wait on this, I'll contact Charles and see if I can't sway him to change one of the matches to a later date." She looked to Lance, "If not, you'll need to be the one to ask him Lance, he trust's me, but it would show that it wasn't me who persuaded him to do this."

Lance nodded, "I will," He then glanced at the door, "I suppose we should get to work?"

Steven tilted his head and turned around, pushing open the door. When the three stepped in, they blinked as there was no sign of Ash, "Did... Did we not see him leave?" Cynthia asked bemusedly.

"Well at least we know that he can be stealthy," Lance muttered going over to the stacks of work.

He hoped Cynthia would be able to change Goodshows mind, this operation needed to be a success, To capture the Rocket, the information would be to great.

And it would get them one step closer to Giovanni.

* * *

**Shorter chapter, but this is the beginning now of the bigger picture, main plotty plot. Now, next chapter will be a big Ash/Misty deal. There was going to be a small... Confrontation between her and Alyssa this chapter at the end, but I decided to cut that out for a later date.**

**Soooo... Please pop in a review, I know this chapter wasn't all that fascinating, a filler if there ever was one.  
**

**Thanks for reading and I'll see ya next time!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

When Lance had requested that Ash speak with him privately, the Ex-Rocket had been a little more than surprised.

The Kanto, Johto Champion usually relied on Cynthia to speak with him. So when Lance came down to the cafeteria and interrupted Ash, the two girls his mother, and Sue, he had been on his guard immediately.

"Ash," Ash turned in his seat at the voice, pausing in his sentence to see Lance approaching him, "Could I have a word with you?"

Ash turned to the table and quickly excused himself before getting up and following out the red haired Champion, "What do you need?" He asked as they stopped beside the door.

"A situation has come about," Lance started removing a folder tucked under his arm and handing it to him, "I need your help, for two reasons."

Ash thumbed open the folder, and looked at its contents, "A battle?" He asked flipping the page, "Two battles." He corrected seeing the next sheet.

Lance nodded, "Yes, Team Rocket isn't waiting around anymore. They want control of the League, and they want it now." Ash's eyes looked up from the sheet and into the Champions, "They're going to take the Kanto and Johto Champions title."

"You want me to eliminate these-"

No, no," Lance interrupted quickly, "You know the G-Men don't kill, but do you know the reason for this?"

Ash shook his head, "The G-Men are the... Enforcers of the Pokemon League in a way, although we are a secret organization, if word slipped out that we killed-"

"It would destroy the Leagues image," Ash finished for him.

He nodded, "Exactly,"

"So what do you need?"

Lance glanced at the table where the four girls were trying to keep their eyes focused on what they were quietly discussing, but their eyes kept drifting their way, "The Elite Four was defeated in rapid succession," He began slowly, "As you know, Kanto and Johto have the same E4 thus I have to be battled twice by two different Trainers."

Ash nodded and he continued, "The Championship battles are on the same day, and I'll need someone to take my place at a Banquet held in Goldenrod."

His eyebrow arched, "You want me to attend to a banquet?" He asked deadpan, "Why would I-"

"Intelligence has confirmed that a high priority Rocket will be there to deal with those in our system. Team Rocket has ears all over the Pokemon League, the more they worm the way into the system the easier it will be to eventually overthrow Goodshow, and bend the rules to their will."

"You want me to... Stop this business man then?" He asked simply.

"News of my battle will be hitting media within the next six hours, once that happens my invitation will be revoked and I won't be able to get in."

"Cynthia and Steven?"

"They're invited, Steven is staying behind and Cynthia will be going as well. Steven will be on standby for when you have the business man detained; Cynthia will be mingling with the top brass to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. And if you agree to this, you will go in undercover, locate, disable, and bring in the individual. Without disturbance, you're recognizable, media will be hounding over this event hungry for information."

Ash wet his lips and pursed them tightly. His eyes drifted passed Lance and to the table where the four sat, "I'll need a date yes?" He asked, "This is a formal event?"

"It would be required yes, but since this is being kept strictly between you, Cynthia, Lance and I, you'll be going in on your own."

"When is the battle?"

"Five days from now,"

"Come with me," Ash started back for the table and examined the two girls as he approached, "How's your shot?" He asked looking to Alyssa.

The blond blinked in confusion, "What?"

"One to ten, could you eliminate a hostile through a rooftop?"

"Glass ceiling?" She asked slowly, and he nodded, "Easily enough if I practiced, it's been to long since I've fired a shot."

Ash turned his gaze to Misty, "Can you act?"

"H-Huh?"

"I need a date, and I need over watch. We can't trust anybody in the system, so I need you two." He felt Lance's eyes burning into his back but ignored it.

The two girls stared at him in disbelief, "Back in the game?" Alyssa whispered unsurely.

He turned to Lance, "Explain,"

And so the Champion did, revealing how he would be facing two battles, while Ash would be taking his place at the banquet to capture a high priority target.

Once he was finished he added on, "This is a dangerous assignment, Ash has been instructed to take in the target without lethality, but we cannot let him escape. The target holds information with Rocket clients, locations, plans, the information we get would be able to put us two steps ahead of Giovanni."

"I'm in," Alyssa whispered, "I'll need to go to a shooting range, I'm probably slow on the trigger, but I'm sure I haven't lost all of my touch."

Ash turned his eyes to the red head, "Misty?"

Her throat refused to let a sound come up, they wanted her to take part in a take down! "I-I don't know. I can't do anything, I can't shoot, or- or kill!"

Ash shook his head, "I don't need you to, I need you to stick with me until we locate the target. After that you'll be taken by Cynthia, or Alyssa can come down to get you while I take 'em out. The only danger you're in, is of a hangover."

"Won't I be recognized though? I'm a Gym Leader, and-"

His lip quirked, "The two of you will be getting make-overs," Ash said slyly, "You'll be unrecognizable. You'll be safe, and this would be over within a few hours."

She looked around unsurely, all eyes were on her, "I-I uh, fine okay... Yes I'll do it..."

Ash shifted his eyes between the two girls, one terrified, and the other nervous. "Alyssa, meet me at the shooting range in one hour, Misty go find Cynthia and ask her for information on how to speak to the higher ups, have her turn you into the perfect lady, and make sure you lock down a bubbly laugh. Preferably loud and obnoxious," He then turned to Lance, "I believe you said there were two things you need my help with?"

Lance nodded and gestured for him to follow him out of the cafeteria. "When Steven lost the title, Jones had used Shadow Pokemon. She had held back, and her Pokemon fainted on silent commands."

Ash remained silent, "If I'm losing the title, I'm not going down without a fight. I need you to show me how to fight them."

Ash turned confused eyes onto the champion, he was dead serious, "You want me to train you?"

"Yes it sounds absurd, but it's the truth. You've fought them before, you don't remember yes. But you can show me how to be ruthless. At Indigo you drew blood; it's rare for that to happen in battle. But now, it's the only option I have to retain the title. I need you to show me how to go past the limit."

Ash stared at the Champion in a mixture of awe and surprise, "It's dangerous," Ash stated, "and I'll need your Pokeballs."

Lance regarded him with curious eyes as they rounded a corner, "Very well, should we begin now?"

"I'll need your Pokeballs, and some tools first. The difference between Rocket and regular Pokeballs is the passive function. That'll need to be removed, and only then will your Pokemon allow themselves to go further than before."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Faster," Alyssa dropped the magazine from the Barrett, grabbed a new one, slapped it home, thumbed the safety, and opened fire. Six shots rang through the gun range, and then she ducked as a tennis ball was whipped for her head.

Ash regarded her carefully; he'd been drilling her hard the past three and a half days. Her shot was improving magnificently, her reflexes were picking up, she was faster and stronger then she had been the past half year or so.

Depression didn't do her well, taking away her will to do anything productive. She'd grown lazy, lacked interest in everything, so spent her time wandering around Pallet and up at the Ranch with his Pokemon.

"Your good," He complimented, he turned to face the target she had shot at. Three through the heart, one through the head, two in the kidney. "You'll be ready,"

She ran a hand tiredly though her hair, "Thanks," She smiled at him, "What about you?"

He raised an eyebrow, and picked up an unused target. Placing it in the holder, he sent it down to the back of the range and dropped his hands to his holsters, "On mark,"

"Mark!"

The pistols were blazing before she even finished, casings flew from the chambers and rattled onto the ground. As both pistols shot their final bullet, he tossed the guns into the air, snatched two new clips set them down onto the shelf in front of him, caught the guns, ejected the empty magazines, slammed the butts down onto the filled and once again opened fire.

When the final shot rang out, white smoke spiraled out of the barrel. Ash turned his gaze to Alyssa who had her jaw hanging low. He pressed the button on the wall and the target whizzed back towards them.

She examined his hits. The heart was missing, and the head was littered with holes, most in the upper area. One was square between the eyes, one in the center of the throat, and one per hand. "Yeah," She said in a high voice, "I-I think you'll be alright..."

He flicked the safety's on and slid the pistols back into the holster, "You'll be alright though," He asked his eyes examining her carefully, "Getting back in the game can be tough, you can still back out if you'd like."

She smiled at him and set the Barrett down, "I couldn't bring myself to back out, after... After Indigo I blamed myself, I could have stopped Domino from shooting you, I could have prevented it but I was too slow." She bit her lip, "I won't let it happen again, I won't hesitate, if I see something or someone that you won't have time to stop I won't hesitate to pull the trigger. I can't lose you again..."

She was surprised when two arms found their way around her shoulders, he was hugging her. Hugging! She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly, "They had others in the stands," he whispered into her ear.

She pulled back slightly to see him, "What?"

He looked her square in the eye, "I could see them in the tapes, if Domino missed, there were others positioned with a clean shot. So either way, if you had killed her, everything would be as it is now."

She stared at him in disbelief, "Y-Your kidding..." She whispered, "But..." She shook her head, and pulled him closer to her, "Never mind..." She rested her head on his chest and held him tightly.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

His lip curled as she laughed, a high, loud, obnoxious laugh, "It-It wasn't that bad was it?" asked Misty nervously as Ash started looking through hair dyes, "I can still change-"

"Misty," He said picking up a bottle of bleach, and light brown hair dye, "I hated the laugh in a good way. It'll draw people's attention towards us, that's what I want. Keep it as is."

Before she could respond he held the two bottles up behind her, "You're going to be a brunette for a few months, shouldn't look too bad though,"

She winced slightly, "Isn't there any... Less permanent way to do this?" She watched him through the mirror mixing the bleach to the right consistency before glancing back to her.

"Fraid' not, you need to look natural... I'll give you red highlights to go along with the brown; it'll feel more natural for you that way. Now come ere'"

She did, although fairly reluctantly to sit down with her back to a sink, "I gotta ask, how do you know how to do all of this?" She asked skeptically as he placed a towel behind her neck, and across her front.

"For reasons such as this, if I need to go in undercover, then I'll change my appearance to match the necessity."

"Have.. Have you gone on any type of assignment where you've had to go in under cover?" He turned on the tap and told her to bring her head back.

"To the extent of dying my hair no. To changing wardrobe, yes."

She didn't ask for him to elaborate as he washed her hair, his hand work was gentle, contrary to his rough hands. It was relaxing, the warm water, the feeling of his hands working their way through her hair...

She let out a small content sigh and he raised an eyebrow, "Enjoying yourself?" He asked bemusedly.

A small twinge of pink appeared on her cheeks, "Well... Little bit maybe..." She paused briefly, "Have you done this before?"

He started lathering her hair with shampoo, "Done what?"

"Washed... Someone else's hair before... Or dyed it?"

He was glad to see her eyes closed at the moment, so she wouldn't see the slight red that took over his own cheeks. That was getting a bit to... Uh _private_ so he lied, "No, well dyed hair yes. For training of course."

She _hmmd_ in response, seemingly happy with the answer. Once he rinsed her hair one last time, he brought her back over to the chair and brought out the bleach, "Do you want a book, music, or something? This'll take around two-three hours to do."

"Radio maybe?"

He nodded and walked over to the counter where a radio sat, he left it on a station that played multiple genres and returned to the current red head, "Anything else? Washroom break, snack, drink?"

"I'm alright, I uh..." She cleared her throat in embarrassment, "Went before I came down here."

He didn't seem to notice, "Good, so now just relax and we'll be done in no time."

So he went to work, the music playing quietly in the background as he brushed her hair, and then began carefully applying layers of bleach. Nearing the half-way point of the first layer he asked, "Are you nervous at all about this?"

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she resisted the urge to shake her head, on the chance that she made him do something wrong, "A tad at first, I'll be honest I was terrified. I mean we've dealt with Team Rocket in the past, with them trying to steal Pikachu and all. But that..." She shivered, "That didn't involve killing, it was just you, me, and Brock, sending Jessie James, and Meowth blasting off. We never really got hurt."

"But this is entirely different, this is... Government work, if something goes wrong... Someone could get hurt, or Team Rocket could somehow capture you instead of them. It could all be a ploy for all we know."

His eyebrow arched in thought. Could what she had said been true? That Team Rocket was feeding the G-Men false information just so they could bring him back? He wouldn't put it passed them, it was a legitimate strategy that had worked in the past.

"I won't get captured," His voice was certain, "I wouldn't allow myself to be caught-"

"Then why are you here?"

He blinked; there was a slight edge to her tone, "Because I realized that I would not have outrun the G-Men forces. There were to many, I would have grown tired, or stumbled just enough for one of them to tranquilize me. So I stood my ground,"

She didn't respond to that, so he continued working on in silence. Two hours passed, and he had finished her hair.

Misty couldn't recognize the girl in the mirror. It was her, but it wasn't. The girl she now looked at was a brunette with a single cherry red streak running down the side of her head. Her eyes were no longer the cerulean she was so used to, but now a dark brown, oddly similar to Ash's.

"Wow…" She stated running a hand through her very soft hair, "It looks… Really good."

Ash was rinsing off his hands as he replied, "Keep the contacts in for the rest of the day so you can get used to them, but take them out at night and keep them in the case."

She was still transfixed by her appearance, but nodded her head at his words, "I will…"

"Now all you need to do is go find Cynthia and see if there is someplace around here you can get a fancy dress, it'll need to fit you perfectly though, rich folk can smell hand-me downs from miles away."

She turned to him with a smile, "Any preference?" She teased.

He blinked, "Preference to what?"

For the love of her, it took everything for her not to face palm. Apparently he was still oblivious to clothing, "Never mind," She said exasperatedly and started for the door.

Ash merely shrugged and started cleaning up.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He made sure to take his time as he readied himself. He needed to look the part, but still have one-hundred percent mobility.

He was dressed in a two-button suit with black flat front dress pants. A white short sleeved dress shirt was beneath the jacket, and a pair of polished black dress shoes reflected the surroundings clearly.

Since this was a banquet, it needed to be formal attire, so instead of the original tan jacket, he had requested a black suit custom tailored with two sheaths sewn into the flaps of the jacket.

He also sported a holster that was slung across his back beneath the jacket that held one of his hand guns. On the off chance that there were armed hostiles within the banquet, he'd needed to be prepared. Rockets were known to light up an area in seconds if things did not go their way.

He should know, he was one of them.

He was still unsure of what to do with his hair, back ponytail? It would certainly be long enough, and keep the hair out of his eyes. Quick trim? Enough so that it wouldn't disrupt his field of view, but not enough for someone to recognize him. Or a hat? That was easy enough; slap one on an go from there.

In the long run, he opted for straightening his hair, and giving it a swift comb. He _wanted_ to be recognized by the Rocket, doing anything that would drastically change his appearance, or prohibit anyone from realizing who he was would take away the purpose of him being there.

Although he did wear red contacts, if he was recognized by say a member of the PLB, the world would go into shock. The kid who vanished, only to reappear at the Pokemon League, only to be then killed at that Pokemon League, to casually stroll in and say hi as if nothing ever took place?

_That would go well._

He was ready though, Espeons Pokeball tucked into his pocket, knives in their sheaths, gun holstered, hair combed, shirt tucked in. He looked the part, now all that was left was to leave for the limo that he, Misty and Alyssa would be taking to the banquet.

"Misty, Alyssa?" He called from the bathroom.

They had arrived at a hotel in Goldenrod the day before, gotten their, or more so _he_ had gone and dropped off Alyssa's gear on the roof of the building where it currently waited for her. And it was about five minutes before they were due to leave.

"Yes Ash?" It was Alyssa, he could sense the anxiousness deep within her voice.

"You and Mist head down to the lobby. I'll meet you there."

He heard a brief scuffle of the two girls slipping on their shoes, and the opening and closing of the door behind them.

He stared at himself in the mirror. Black hair cascading down in front of his eyes, shielding them from view. Slight nick on his chin from where he slipped while shaving.

He didn't like what he saw, he preferred to be dressed in a pair of jeans and a T. That had been his basic attire all his life, not some penguin suit. He also looked tired, but he was far from it. Something was missing, there was no light behind his eyes, no… Anything, just darkness.

He was sure that he was the only to see it though, he kept up his facade of keeping his emotions off of his face so know one would attempt to find a weakness, or something to use against him.

Eyes he knew, could tell stories. Even if the person did not wish for it to be so, but there was always a way for you to see. Someone who was better at controlling themselves in the art of deceit.

But his own eyes… There was nothing, no stories, no emotion… Nothing. And it unsettled him greatly, during his time with the G-Men, he had stared as he did right now at himself in a mirror. Searching his eyes for… Something.

But he always came back empty handed.

But before all this, before the G-Men, and the voices. He had been happy; it would be a lie to say otherwise. He had seen it in his eyes, there was happiness. He had loved Domino, and he had been sure she had felt the same. But it was different now, she had lied to him. Or very skillfully maneuvered herself around the truth.

She _hadn't_ known why he was getting the voices. She had told him the truth that he had been a part of Team Rocket before his… Supposed accident at Silph Co. She had trained him before, not directly, but she had been the one to establish what he'd be trained in.

He missed her, after not seeing her for well over a month. The blond kept creeping back into his mind.

But he knew things would be different for the next time they met. She was his enemy… But… She had loved him. Would she _still_ if she found out he was working for the G-Men. Or more importantly, would _he_ still love her after his memory was restored.

Apparently he had wanted her dead on more than one occasion before all of this. Would his… Would his two personalities clash after he remembered? That he'd hate to love her, or the exact opposite, love to hate her? He'd been sleeping on this for well over a week now, to go find her and work things out so she would leave Team Rocket.

But there was a difference between them, he was a traitor. She wasn't. He knew deep down that Dom would never leave Team Rocket after all that they'd done for her.

Taking in an orphan, making her an Elite in a world famous organization. They had given her a life. She was in debt to Giovanni, and she wouldn't leave until either he died or Team Rocket was disbanded. Forever.

He turned on the tap and splashed some water onto his face, he needed to get going. He could think about all of this later.

Drying his face off with a hand towel, he left the bathroom and went over to a stand that had two radios on it. One no bigger then his thumb, a beacon that would send out his location to Steven once he detained the business man.

And the other, a small portable radio. He'd be listening to the broadcast of Lance's second match. The now ex Kanto Champion was preparing for his second title defense of the day as he walked out of the room and into the hall.

After a grueling battle, he had contacted the Johto Champion and quizzed him hard on the battle against his challenger. Having watched the battle, and learned about what it was like to face the Shadow Pokemon. He formulated a plan for Lance, that would be sure to give the second Rocket a hell of a time claiming the title for their own.

Seeing as how Lance blew the first match on purpose, using Pokemon that had never battled yet in their life. The second match would surely be something to remember.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The two girls sat facing each other in the limo waiting for Ash to comedown. He was certainly taking his time.

Misty flattened out her dress a third time, the silky blue material was prone to wrinkles, and she refused to let that happen. Her dress flowing down to her ankles with a long neckline and two straps hugged her curves nicely. But it was damn hard to sit in, especially with the leather intiror of the limo.

"H-Hey Misty?" She glanced up to the blond, who wore a green dress similar to hers, however it cut off in ruffles just after her knees, with a single strap.

"Yeah Alyssa?"

The blond seemed uncomfortable, and that made her nervous, "Everything alright?"

She nodded, "Well… Yeah, it's just I need to umm ask you something."

Misty made a rolling gestured with her hand and she continued, "Well what's," She cleared her throat, "When Ash get's his memory back what's going to happen between the three of us?"

She frowned, "What do you mean?"

Alyssa squirmed a bit, and said almost reluctantly, "Well, you and Gary are dating right? And umm, before Ashs match at indigo, you know before he was shot. I sort of kissed him."

The silence that followed would have made a western shoot out seem like a crowd after someone won the title of Master. Misty just stared at Alyssa in shock, the blond had never told her about that, that she had _kissed_ Ash while… While they had still been… Or still been kind of dating.

But now she understood something. After Ash regained his memories, there would be an inevitable fight for his affection. He'd no doubt feel horrible for learning that right after he had died she had started dating Gary. Someone she still had to break up with. But now that she learned that he _knew_ of Alyssa's affection for him would… Well she didn't know what it would do, but it would definetly create a rift between her and the blond.

"W-When you umm…" She cleared her throat awkwardly, or more so reluctantly as she was a little scared of the answer, "Did he umm… _Respond_ well or or was it…"

"He responded… Well."

"And you uh… Kissed him because…?"

Alyssa kept her mouth shut, she had kept this from both Misty and Delia since she'd known them. They had been to kind to her, giving her a place to stay, friends, a family. She couldn't have brought herself to tell them, that Ash had gone willingly to his death. That he knew that Team Rocket was going to gun him down during the battle. She had already dealt with the blame put on her for not blowing off Dominos head while she had the chance by them, but she knew… She _knew_ that Misty, Delia, the Oaks, Maples, Berlitz… They would blame her, blame her for not stopping Ash from doing it.

They'd say that she had known from the beginning what he had been planning. That at any time she could have stopped him, but was still a member of Team Rocket. _Using _him. Screwing with him all that time just so she could watch him die...

If that had happened.

She would have truly been alone in this world. She couldn't go back to Team Rocket, she… Orre was out of the question, she had up to an eigth grade education, leaving her school than to join Team Rocket. So she hadn't finished Highschool, she'd be unable to get a job… Except being some cheap whore who worked at a strip club. She'd right kill herself before she took that route.

So she'd have nothing. No one to go to, no one to ask for help. Or a place to stay so she could turn her life around. She'd be destined to either _opt out,_ or live on the streets. She wouldn't be able to stay at her and Ashs place in Illex Forest, the trek from there into Azalea or Ecruteak took a couple days at a time.

She'd probably opt out. She'd have nothing in this world, she had been grateful when she had learned Ash had asked his mother for her to stay at his house permanently after the League. It had given her a chance, one to regroup herself. Even though it was damn near impossible knowing- Or as she had recently come to learn, thought that she could have kept him alive.

She had started taking classes online for her education, determined not to let Ash down. Not to become nothing for him. Spending time with his Pokemon had offered her a different career path as well, she had offered the Pokemon at Oaks ranch to become their Trainer so they could continue competing. So they could fulfil Ashs original dream.

Before she, Misty and Delia had been taking to the HQ, the Pokemon had warmed up to the idea greatly. And she had been learning everything she possibly could about being a Trainer on the chance that they all accepted. That was her rule though, she wanted all of his Pokemon to partake in this Journey. For Ashs honor, so that his memory would not be forgotten.

She brought her eyes up to the worried brunette, she realized she hadn't said anything more about five minutes, "O-On the umm… Roof of the building Ash told me that-" Freezing mid-sentence, the door of the limo opened and Ash slid in.

"You two ready to go?" He asked knocking twice on the window where the driver sat.

There was a silence, but both girls nodded. There eyes meeting in an unspoken saying of _we'll_ _finish this conversation later._

* * *

**And since the Indigo battles from ARFA was absolute trash, I'm going to be making sure that the parts of the battle I decide to showcase are in fact... Above average quality, or more so the quality of what I'm writing for _Constellation Connections._  
**

**Rant over.  
**

**Thanks again for reading, please feel free to pop in a review, and I'll see you all next time around!  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The ride to the Goldenrod Banquet hall was ridden in an uncomfortable silence.

But Ash didn't notice, or he just didn't care. His mind preoccupied with his own thoughts as he stared blankly out the tinted window.

He knew his objective, capture the business man. Don't start a commotion, and don't get anyone killed.

Simple.

But his mind kept drifting to when he'd be administered the antidote. He was currently two people, one at the moment. But once he regained whatever memories, he'd be… Be _someone_, someone with an entirely different take on how the way he works.

What if the clash of his personalities drove him insane? He, and he was pretty damn well sure that Cynthia and the scientists didn't know to what extent the drug he'd been given would do to his mind. For all he knew, by then end of this he could have two voices speaking over each other for control of his body…

God that would be offal.

But what if the drug failed? Then what would he do? He could still very well return to Team Rocket, they'd take him back with open arms despite what he'd done. He had the location to the G-Men headquarters for a trade if it came down to it.

But would he return if given the opportunity? He'd been lied to; they were the ones who _did_ this to him. To make him forget his past life. But then again there was Domino.

His thoughts always ended up going back to her, no matter what it was about.

It always returned to Domino.

He shook his head and glanced at Alyssa, sitting much like he was, except with her head against the window staring out into the passing world. Then there was Misty, obviously nervous because of her shaking leg, and wringing out of the hands.

"You two nervous?"

Both girls seemed to startle at his sudden voice in the quiet cab, "No, anxious is a better word," Alyssa answered turning her blue eyes to him.

"And you Misty?"

The brunette nodded, "Can you blame me? This is… This is going to be a _long_ night,"

Ash felt the inside of his jacket where his handgun lay, "I'll get you hopped up on wine coolers, loosen you up a bit," Both girls regarded him with raised eyebrows, and he let a small grin flicker onto his lips, "we can't have you jumping every time someone comes over to speak with us now can we?"

"I won't jump," She rebutted, but when he snorted in reply, her brow furrowed, "I _won't_,"

"Sure,"

Oh god he couldn't… He couldn't be remembering how to irritate her cold he? He wouldn't, "I won't, I won't be jumpy!"

He shrugged unconvinced and said nothing, "Idiot," she grumbled.

Ash turned his attention from Misty and to Alyssa now, "You know where to go?"

"Yup, once we're in I'll head to the rooftop,"

He nodded to himself, "You have your headset?" Alyssa took her purse and searched through it until she pulled out what looked like a pair of yellow tinted sunglasses, with a mouth piece coming down from the left side, "Good,"

"Where'd you find this? It's a nifty little gadget,"

"I may have gone down to the uh," He cleared his throat, "R and D department and taken a look at what they had on display."

Their eyebrows shot up in surprise, "You _stole_ these?"

He feigned hurt, placing a hand over his heart, "You hurt me Alyssa, such accusations are uncalled for really,"

Her mouth drooped open and she stared at him in disbelief. Before she shook her head amused, "Did you _liberate_ anything for yourself while you were down there?"

"Liberate sounds about right," He said casually, "I've got a pair like yours, no mouth piece though. The interface of the glasses are top notch, I rigged ours though to track. Make it easier on you for when the chase goes down,"

"Chase?" Misty whispered in surprise, "What _chase?"_

"I have a feeling I'll be running the full mile by the end of the night, which is when you will go with Cynthia or Alyssa depending on how things work,"

Alyssa glanced to her expensive watch, taken from the confiscated items at the G-Men HQ, "It's almost seven,"

At her words, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out his little radio. Taking a single ear bud, he placed it into his ear, and flicked the switch.

Lances match was close to beginning.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The Johto Champion rolled his shoulders, hearing the slight pop as he did so before he shook himself out a second time.

His match was due to begin in fifteen minutes, and his nerves were beginning to get to him. He _knew_ he wouldn't be winning this match, but he wanted to make sure that his challenger and Rocket who went by the name Raiden, had one hell of a time trying to take his title away from him.

He and Ash trained brutally for the past few days, Ash showing him how to play dirty, how to dance his way around the rules, how to lethally harm a Pokemon. Ash had told him repeatedly, to go for the ribcage. The ribcage so that fire or water types would be hard pressed to use special attacks, and so that fighting Pokemon would be unable to use their arms in battle.

Then for the Pokemon who use all fours, he was to break their legs. He knew come the first time he did that, the Rocket would pull out his A-game and probably end the match quickly. But he wouldn't give the Rocket the satisfaction of a clean win.

He _would_ defeat one of those shadow Pokemon, even if it killed his Pokemon in the process.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

They arrived not to long after, the door to the limo was opened by the driver and Ash climbed out, before turning around and offering his hands to both girls.

Lights flashed, and reporters stumbled over each other asking for an interview or for a word with him as the girls each took an arm and he led them towards the front doors.

As the three of them walked up to the front, a man in a suit came forward, "Good evening Sir, may I see your invitation please?"

Ash inclined his head and slid a hand into his jacket where he removed the invitation he had received from Lance, and handed it to the doorman.

The doorman flipped open the invitation read the name and searched down his clipboard until he came to his name, "Ah excellent," He said, "Welcome to the Goldenrod Emporium, Mr. Mackenzie,"

Ash inclined his head once more, "Thank you, are we all set here?"

"Of course sir, have a wonderful time tonight,"

"We will," And then he led the girls inside.

The Goldenrod Emporium was a large circular room with a crystal dome roof, which refracted the light coming from the night sky into rainbows of color across the room. The hall had two floors, the bottom where food tables and a large dance floor was constructed, currently obstructed by tables which would eventually be moved out of the way for when the music began.

The second floor was a balcony, which ran along the circumference of the room. Doors ran along the balcony that led into god knows what. But what really topped off the whole room, was the large crystal chandelier that hung high above the ground, with trinkets of gold, silver, diamonds dangling here and there.

And then of course there were the thousand attendees throughout the hall, talking laughing, eating…

Ash didn't like the feel of this place. Not because something was off, but because it would be _so_ easy to kill everyone in the building. Give him a canister of gasoline, a couple chains, and a gun with 30 or so rounds… All of these people would be dead.

It was a sick thought.

But entirely true.

It would be impossible to locate the Rocket in the crowd on the bottom floor. He and Misty would have to take to the balcony. He'd have to mark exits and routes for him when it came for the take down. But… His target hadn't arrived. Not inside the building at least.

Ash walked the girls towards the bar, "Why don't you go see if you can't find our table?" He whispered over into Alyssa's ear, "See if we're in a decent spot?"

She smiled up at him, "Of course," She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before starting away, he caught her wrist and pulled her back to him.

"Keep an eye out behind you," He said quietly, reaching into the flap of his jacket and removing one of his two concealed knives, "I don't want someone stealing you away from me,"

She swallowed and nodded, taking the knife and slipping it into her purse, "That won't happen," She whispered back.

And he knew it was true, he jerked his head towards the crowds near the tables, "Go on,"

She did, and he watched her walk away until she had completely disappeared from his sight. There goes his over watch, turning to Misty he offered her a grin, "Come on love," He said leading her towards the bar, "Let's get a drink,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Lance walked down the long corridor and onto the lift. He crack his knuckles, felt the red spheres on his hip, and looked up into the darkness of the shaft.

There was a large tremor running throughout the building, the crowds had formed in masses, waiting for the Championship battle to begin.

And he was right below them.

Cynthia would have arrived at the banquet in Goldenrod not too long ago, Ash and his friends? He wasn't as sure as to when they'd arrive. Maybe fashionably late, or early to prepare.

It was a guessing game with him.

One of the stadium hands came up from behind him, "One minute," He said.

Lance nodded to himself, "Okay," there wasn't a way for him to mess this up. Or if there was, he was unaware of it. No matter how this played out, he was losing this battle.

The floor shook, and then began to rise upwards. He stared up into the darkness, above him, until the sound of gears started up, and the roof begun splitting into two. The cheering echoed down the chute as he rose up in front of the thousands of fans around him. His position rose up out of the ground, on the other side Raiden had already taken his place.

Dark blue hair, a black jacket over a white T with jeans. There was nothing fascinating about him, he looked like your average Trainer.

But he wasn't.

"AND NOW WE WELCOME OUR CHAMPION!" The announcer boomed overhead, "LANCE!"

The referee stepped up to the center edge of the field, "This is six on six Pokemon battle," He announced, "No substitutions are allowed by the Champion, and the challenger may only substitute out a Pokemon after five minutes have run down the clock. Once one Trainer has lost all six of their Pokemon, the battle will end and the victor crowned as Champion!"

He looked between Raiden and Lance, "Do both Trainers agree to this ruling?"

Lance gave a two fingered salute, and Raiden bowed his head.

"Then Trainer's! Please call out your first Pokemon!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash turned the radio up a notch, "The battle started," He said to Misty as they were handed their drinks.

She looked to him curious, "What Pokemon is the," She paused to stop herself from saying Rocket, "Opponent using?"

A pause, "Shit," He muttered, "It's a Tyranitar… Good, he called out Dragonite,"

Her eyes went wide, "Why is that good?" She asked in a hushed exclamation, "Dragonite are at a disadvantage to Tyranitar!"

Ash took her hand and began leading her towards the staircase which lead up to the balcony, "It's what we worked on. Dragonite is… Dragonite isn't a happy camper let's say. Tyranitar will be the first to go down, and then Raiden's second will go down as well before a comeback begins,"

"How do you know?"

They started climbing up the staircase, Ash holding her hand as they started towards the middle of the long path, "They'll make it seem as if Lance is winning this battle, then when he has been given hope. They'll snatch it away," He paused, "You do look beautiful by the way,"

She blushed at the unexpected compliment, "T-Thanks," She mumbled, "You uh, you don't look half bad either," He grinned at her and her blush deepened.

"_Keep it PG down there you two,"_ Ash walked Misty over to the railing and leaned against it.

"How's it looking?" He was looking at Misty, but spoke directly to Alyssa.

Up on the roof, Alyssa now out of her dress and in a tight black T, with black jeans, and headset on watched Ash and Misty through the scope of her sniper rifle. "Nothing, suspicious. How about drawing attention to yourselves, see who looks your way?"

What he did next surprised both girls, "Hope you know how to act," He said quietly to Misty.

She blinked, "What do you-" She was silenced as Ash pulled her against him and placed his lips on hers. He leaned her up against the railing and put himself on top of her where he deepened the kiss.

At first, she had been surprised, throw in a bit of horror as well as Ash kissed her. But almost immediately, she lost herself like she had when they had first kissed back in Pallet Town. The kiss was long, but then he removed his mouth, and put it just below her ear, "Laugh and push me back, loudly," He then started placing small kisses from her ear down her neck.

He almost stopped himself as a small moan escaped her, stealthily he pinched her arm and she let out a gasp. Which she _thankfully_ turned into a high pitched laugh which rang out high above the room, "Mr. Mackenzie!" She squealed loudly, "Please if you really want my attention why not book us a room!?"

Ash grinned and pulled her into his arms, so that her back was to his chest, and his arms around her waist. He and Misty were facing the railing, and his eyes darted across the room with precision. Everyone who had looked their way, gave a slight tilt of the head, or raised eyebrow was sketched into his brain for further watching.

"How do you like the view?" He asked casually.

Misty replied to him, but he dismissed her words and waited for Alyssa's reply. It was about a full minute before she did, "_I-No umm_," She cleared her throat, _"No facial, umm recognition… Cynthia is lower left of your position-"_ He followed her instructions, "_speaking with two older men by the band- orchestra- thing."_

"Great," He then spoke to Misty, "Now Kaitlin, next time… Try and keep your head out of the clouds,"

Misty blushed again, but smiled none the less, "If I can help it-"

He brought his mouth down to her ear and spoke quietly, "You _will_ help it, whatever… Game you were playing there wasted seconds that could have been used for locating those who watched us… Are you drunk?"

She turned her head so that her eyes could see his, and her breath hitched at how close they were. Lips no more than a centimeter apart, "No… No I'm not," she whispered.

He regarded her carefully before nodding, "Let's see if we can find any of our friends," He suggested.

"_Cynthia is still by the orchestra, might want to throw on your shades. It_ _is offaly bright in there"_

Ash snorted in amusement, and began leading Misty back towards the staircase. He reached into his pocket with his free hand, and turned up the radio while pulling out his own pair of yellow tinted sunglasses.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Flames rushed passed him and into the stanchions, scorching the ground black, and making him sweat terribly.

"Dragonite!" Lance called out, "Get in close range with Thunder Punch!"

The yellow dragon bellowed as it flew towards the Charizard, three clawed hands crackling with electricity.

"Flamethrower!"

"Take it head on!"

Raidens Charizard opened its jaws and unleashed another massive jet of flames towards Dragonite. The Champions Pokemon flew straight into the attacks, flames engulfing it's body as it pushed through.

Dragonite roared, and using one hand, wrapped an arm around Charizards long neck, followed by a horrific display of brutality. The Pseudo drove it's electricity infused fist hard into the Charizards ribcage, lifting the orange dragon off the ground, and then delivered another, and another.

"Thunder!"

Releasing its neck, Dragonite swung one last hard Thunder Punch this time into Charizards snout, sending it to the ground. Before looking into the sky and crying out as a thunder clap sounded and a massive bolt electricity came crashing down from the sky onto the downed Fire Type.

Charizard screeched, the fans in the stand wild with excitement as the challengers Pokemon withered in pain as electricity coursed through its veins.

The attack ceased and Dragonite smacked it's chest with one of its claws before flying back in front of Lance.

The referee stepped forward after a long moment, one hand raised in the air, "Charizard is unable to battle! Will the challenger please call out their next Pokemon!"

Lance watched as Raiden recalled his second Pokemon. The Tyranitar had gone down fairly fast, taking six lightning fast Brick Breaks in rapid succession, a Flamethrower, and then a finishing blow with another Brick Break.

It had managed to land a lucky Mega Punch, but that was about it except for its sandstorm capability. Which did minor damage.

The Charizard had been a step up; they had remained relatively unscathed for the battle. But had taken multiple Flamethrowers from long range.

But once again the win had been fairly easy, a few back and forth between Flamethrowers and Thunders in the sky, when he had ordered a Brick Break while the two had been in mid-flight. With Charizard brought down, he called for Thunder Punch, which strengthened with each blow to the ribs, and then the final Thunder made an easy win.

To easy.

"You're better than I thought Lance, I underestimated you!" Raiden called out wholeheartedly, "I won't make that mistake again!"

_What bullshit,_ Lance thought as Raiden pulled out his third Pokeball.

"Go Garchomp!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Miss Shirona!" Ash exclaimed delightedly coming into Cynthia's view, "My god it's been to long!"

Cynthia, dressed in a long slate colored form fitting dress, eyebrows shot up when she heard him, "Jonathan?" She asked noticing the gleam in his eye, "How did a slacker like you get invited?"

Ash grinned, "Well Lance asked for me to come personally, you know how his battle is today right?"

"Of course, how- Oh please excuse my manners," She glanced to the two older men beside her, "David Clearwater, Arthur Macklemore, this is a long-time friend of Lance and mine, Jonathan Mackenzie. He works with Lance and I on training regimes, our official coach if you will."

Ash stuck his hand out, "It's a pleasure to meet you both," He grinned, "This lovely lady here is my date Kaitlin,"

Misty grinned nervously, and mumbled a hello with a small bow, "A tad nervous she is, first big party and all,"

Cynthia's eyebrow rose, "Not so nervous a few minutes ago on the balcony though I see," Misty blushed tenfold while Ash laughed.

"A little carried away is all; you don't mind if we join you would you? Seeing as how we're at the bottom of the social list here."

"Not at all, Arthur, David and I were just discussing how the League plans to expand in worldwide coverage. They run the distribution of broadcasts, contests, minor leagues, and all things surrounding League viewer ship,"

"Is that so?" Ash asked, "Would you mind me asking, but how one from say… Almia get broadcast coverage? With the Ranger headquarters there, the censorship increased to block all battle networks correct?"

Arthur nodded knowingly, "We've been in talks with the Pokemon Ranger's, Almia as you know is a big center for upcoming Rangers, so the main issue the Region has with battling is that they are afraid that instead of growing up to be a Pokemon Ranger, that children will take to the Trainer path. Which is understandable, and lessen the amount of Ranger's worldwide?"

"Is there a way around this? I ask because my cousin lives in Almia, she absolutely adores battling, but due to the censorship-"

David interrupted politely, "We're in a negotiating phase with the Regional Government, we have plans to air commercials, and programs about becoming a Ranger during League broadcasts, and throw in a few advertisements in say Trainer weekly, or League Digest,"

"Give them publicity, while also expanding networks?"

"Exactly," Arthur finished.

"Excuse me John," Cynthia asked before the conversation progressed.

"Yes?"

"Would it be alright if I could get a word in with you in private?"

Ash nodded enthusiastically, "Of course!" He said goodbye to the two higher ups in the media department and followed Cynthia away from the party.

"Any sign?"

"Alyssa?"

A pause, _"It's pretty calm, I transferred some facial data to your HUD while you were speaking to those two guys. Quite a few people were glancing your way,"_

"Nothing, but… I know he's here, I just got to scope him ou- The match is tied up, both down to their third Pokemon,"

Cynthia took notice of the ear bud, "How bad is he doing?"

Ashs lips pursed in a thin line, "Raidens Garchomp is a monster… But I don't think it's a Shadow… It took out Lapras and his Dragonite, Lance just called out Aerodactyl."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The prehistoric Pokemon screeched into the air, before glowering down at the land shark Pokemon, "Aero use Ancient Power!" Aerodactyl eyes shone white, and the ground around it churned, rock and dirt coming together in a sphere in front of it.

The ball of rock shot off, a trail of dust behind it towards Garchomp, "Block it and use Draco Meteor!"

Garchomp crossed its fins in front of it, and braced its feet into the ground. The sphere slammed into it, shoving Garchomp back ten feet until it flexed and pushed its arms out disintegrating the attack.

A dark orange light erupted in its chest, opening its jaw to the sky, it unleashed an orb of intense light.

"Grab it and shield yourself!" Lance retaliated.

Flapping its massive hide wings, Aerodactyl tore down the field, towards Garchomp. Raiden called out to dodge, but Aero soared past Garchomp right as the orb burst into dozens of falling meteors, and grasped both of its arms with its taloned wings.

In a move that surprised all but Lance, Aero rolled onto its back, placed its large feet onto Garchomp back and pushed outwards, pressing the struggling Pseudo up towards the falling attack.

"What a turn of events!" The announcer cried, "Aerodactyl is using Garchomp as a meat shield to take the full force of the attack!"

The orange meteors crashed around the field, blowing craters and dust all across the stadium. The spectators howled as they watched Aerodactyl hold furiously onto Garchomp. The land shark, took a falling meteor of its own attack square to the gut, followed by two more in rapid succession, "Bite!"

The massive teeth drove into Garchomps shoulder, who looked as if it was still nailed to a cross. The razor like teeth buried deep into the rough hide, until the taste of blood hit Aero's tongue.

Lance watched with a weird feeling in his gut. His Pokemon battle with natural instincts now more than anything, as if they were wild. Ash had removed the function within a Pokeball that would turn it passive, which let his Pokemon revert to stages of the Pokemon in the Farwinds.

"Garchomp use Incinerate!"

With a screech, Garchomps eyes shone an intense orange. Aero held on, barring its teeth further into its flesh as it heated to insufferable temperature. The screech rose in pitch, before Garchomps body seemed to burst into flames, shooting in all directions like a firework.

Aero cried out as the flames shot into its mouth and all across its body at close range. It let go, and kicked Garchomp away from itself. Before getting to its feet and taking off into the air where it let out a defiant cry.

Garchomp staggered to its feet, blood leaking from its shoulder, body drenched with sweat and dust. "Garchomp?" Raiden called out worriedly, _Lance knew that it was fake empathy,_ "Can you continue?"

Garchomp roared before letting loose a Flamethrower which lit the stadium with an orange hue. Without his order Aero retaliated with its own, meeting the adjoining flame mid-way.

The two attacks fused together in a sphere of flames before flashing white, and exploding in the center of the field creating a thick layer of dust across the field.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

They were getting drinks and eating at the bar instead of their assigned table, Ash felt sorry that Alyssa had to be on the roof in the cold while he and Misty ate down in the warmth of the party.

He wasn't eating all that much though, with him being far more interested in the information that ran across the lenses of his glasses. Pictures of the guests, with a name appeared one after another, he compiled them in his mind. Looking for resemblances, or a certain name to spark his interest.

"So tonight's not all that bad is it?" He asked conversationally to the brunette.

Misty took a sip of her wine, and shook her head, "It's really not like I expected… I thought there'd be a lot more… Well… You know?" And he nodded. "I'm having fun though,"

He smirked, "Especially with our little make out session yeah?" She choked on her salad and he snorted, "Thought so," He paused, "What do you think it looks like from the roof?"

Alyssa's voice, although a little tense came through,_ "I recommend getting up to the balcony Ash, with everyone sitting you may be able to get a better view of who's who… And I don't think you want to get caught dancing, no better place to put a knife in your back."_

Ashs eyebrow arched and he turned his gaze slightly to the roof, "_Don't give me that look,"_ He snorted again and Misty regarded him curiously.

"It's nothing," He said simply.

"How's the battle? Is Lance winning?"

"There at a break, his Aerodactyl pulled some stunts and took out the Garchomp, whoever Raiden calls out next will be the first of his strongest,"

After a pause she looked at him with wide eyes, and he nodded, "This is where Lance will need to drop the reigns and give his Pokemon full control. I kind of wish I was there to see it, it'll be a blood bath. From what I heard, he's already drawn first blood."

"Like Arcanine and Houndoom?" His eyebrow rose in confusion, until he blinked in understanding.

"Yes, but in a more… Drastic way. He's shown Raiden that he will do what others are scared to do. That he'll pull a… Ash Ketchum and try to take out the his strongest without mercy."

"_Ash seriously, get to the balcony. Dancing begins in five, and you'll want to get a quick look at who's here before the crowds form once again,"_

She was right, and he knew it. "Let's head back up to the balcony," He said, "I like the view,"

It was a quick walk, mostly because of his pacing. The night was almost over, an hour and a half remained. And… And he still waited for the business man to show up. It was _soon_ he could feel it, but how soon was the question.

It would only take a second for the person to leave, or do their deal and bail. Hell he was half tempted to draw his gun and loose a shot, get everyone looking in his and Mistys direction…

No… No commotions… Unfortunately, things tend to work better for him when there was mayhem. Which he usually started.

The sunglasses truly a work of genius. From what he understood, his brainwaves activated facial recognize scans, the small teal reticle jumped all across the his lenses. It landed on a person, zoomed in on their faces, and placed their name in the top left corner.

He wished it moved faster though, at an impossible speed. His eyes went left, and to the orchestra who were tuning their instruments… The invitees were clearing the floor of tables now, pushing them off to the side and out of the way.

The reticule danced across Cynthia who was speaking once again to Macklemore and Clearwater, it moved far right, near the entrance where the doorman stood just on the inside, over to the orchestra where-

_"Ash, Ash listen to me. Look directly in front of you."_ Alyssa's voice startled him, her voice shook, but there was an ice which surprised him underling it.

He turned his gaze to the far end of the hall, looking for what- or whoever Alyssa saw. "What am I looking for Aly?" He asked seriously, "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"I… It's _her _Ash…" Her who? _"I can kill her right now, give me the word Ash. I'll put a bullet right through her fucking skull!"_

"WHO IS IT!" He asked loudly, ignoring Mistys worried gaze as he searched desperately for this girl.

"_Domino."_

* * *

**So, when I wrote Arise from Ashes, that was done because I wanted more creative freedom then my first attempt at writing which was nothing but battles. But when I got into the second chapter, I began making things up as I went along, which is making it **_very_ **difficult to continue on with the skeleton of a plot I created. I made mistakes, that should have been fixed immediately; (Ash/Alyssa, Ash/Misty). But I was still learning back then, and still am.**

**So, I know this story is far sub-par in a way to Arise from Ashes. A boring plot, **_**eh**_** interactions between characters. And with the only… There is only one ending I've currently got in mind, and I'm saying this now, because it'll be controversial as fuck.**

**I want to make this story better, so I'm going to stop forcing in interactions between Ash and Misty, and take the Arise from Ashes root. This is staying Pokeshipping, but… But you'll see in the future, I'm going back currently and rewriting Arise from Ashes, I've got the first chapter complete (100X better than the original) and will either update the original chapter, or upload it as a rewrite once I'm ready.**

**Now why have I wrote that big ol' block of text? Because the ride this story is going to be taking is going to be all over the place, a couple **_you're serious right now? Really you just wrote that?_** Moments are going to be in it, it'll going to be controversial. **

**I mostly wrote this for myself, the above cause I am frustrated as hell with this story, it's currently nothing but a burden I signed myself up for which I cannot abandon whether I want to or not. I promised myself that when I joined I wouldn't just up and quit a story because I just didn't want to continue it.**

**So updates are going to be whenever I can get a decent flow going and a couple thousand words in a docx. A month at a time? Maybe two in one week? I really don't know. My main priorities right now are school, and getting AGP finished because I'm in the final stretch for that story. Then once AGP is done, Constellation Connections is my most important story. That takes my main priority over anything else that I write. (And there's a lot I've written in the past two months)**

END OF RANT HERE:

**So basically, I don't know when updates will come out.**

**The story is going into an overhaul, less forced interactions.**

**AGP Is almost finished.**

**Oh, and Mewtwo is coming back in the next Pokemon Movie! That's pretty sick if I do say so myself!**

_**Anyways!**_** Please drop in a**_ review,_** let me know your thoughts on the chapter, what you like, didn't, hate, love, anything!**

**That's all for now, see ya next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Fourteen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

How he couldn't have spotted her immediately was by him, Domino stuck out like a sore thumb.

Not dressed in her Rocket garb, but… He blinked, she wore the same outfit she had worn the day of their battle at Indigo.

And she was staring directly at him, from across the hall her violet eyes regarded him without emotion.

And then she began turning and walking towards the door behind her.

"_Ash give me the wor-_

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot, get down here and take Misty to Cynthia _now!"_ And without waiting for her response, he sprinted away from Misty and down the long cursive balcony.

His hand reached into his pocket and felt the tracker, he hit the only button on it and stuck it into his pants.

As he ran, his blazer flew off of his body, as well as the tie.

From his peripheral vision he could see people looking up to look at him, but his eyes were focused solely on the departing figure.

Nearing the door Domino had gone through, Ash removed his pistol and stuck it into the waist band of his pants.

Gripping the railing, he vaulted over it- garnering cries of surprise as he fell the fifteen feet to the ground and land in a roll before sprinting out through the door.

He was in a kitchen, _how cliché_. He ran up to one of the chefs and grabbed him by the collar, "Where did the woman go!" He shouted.

The plump chef paled, "O-Out the back s-sir!" Ash dashed away and towards the door which failed to close properly.

Stepping into the night, his eyes roamed the streets. Cars passed by him, the track of the magnate-train ran some hundred feet in front of him across the road.

"DOMINO!" He shouted pacing down the sidewalk, "DOMINO!"

No call greeted him, however a few passerby's eyed him like he was crazy.

He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and took a calming breath, he was going to get worked up.

It was _domino_ who had been sent to get him, he knew from the beginning that if it was to be anyone.

It would have been her.

She knew of his doings, that he was doing… A deal in a way with the G-Men.

_But to what __extent__?_

She'd want to lead him away, somewhere where she'd be able to disarm him or cause a ruckus which would lead to him being revealed.

Somewhere quiet, or-

He looked over his shoulder down the road which led back towards the banquet. Or someplace _he_ couldn't cause a problem.

Somewhere where he wasn't _allowed _to be seen.

Because of his past.

He started running, past the banquet hall and down the road.

There was only one place he knew of that would be hell if he was seen, some place that was probably doing live broadcasts, and watched by millions.

He took a left running to the center of a bridge that looked over a highway, he brought himself to the guard railing and saw her.

Blond hair sticking out from beneath the dark pink hat as she jogged towards the contest hall.

His hand gripped the butt of the pistol and he brought it level to her moving form.

_Easy target, low wind-_ He moved the pistol slightly right, _accumulate drop at 1600 meters._

He pulled the trigger twice, gun thundering into the night and echoing through the many skyscrapers in Goldenrod.

About two seconds later, he saw the sparks of the two rounds impacting the cement two feet in front of where Domino would have been.

He saw her pause, glance over her shoulder and start off again.

Looking over the side of the bridge, it was a ten meter drop.

He'd be running with a limp the rest of the night, but-

Without a further thought, he leapt over the ledge, and instead of the momentary free fall he had been expecting, he cured loudly as he fell onto the roof of a box truck, before the momentum sent him rolling off the top and onto the pavement.

The truck screamed to a halt as the driver threw on his breaks, Ash took no notice.

Cursing repeatedly as he felt his now broken ribs, _that was going to put a damper on things._ Growling he pushed himself up off of the ground and to his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his side.

The driver got out of his truck and was looking at Ash as if he was insane, "DID YOU JUMP!?" He yelled incredulously.

Before he could get another word in Ash had drawn his gun and leveled it with the man's forehead, "Official Pokemon G-Men business, I'm commandeering your vehicle.

"Wha-" Ash cracked him on the back of his head with blinding speed knocking him unconscious before getting into the drivers seat.

This was a new experience.

Keys were still in, what he knew as the _shift_ was on the P- _park._

"If a bullet doesn't kill me, this will," He muttered pulling the shift to D and feeling the sudden lurch of the truck.

He had never driven in his life, except for the motorcycle.

A _truck_ was entirely different.

Applying pressure to the pedal his hands gripped the wheel tighter as the speed gauge went from 60-70 and then right up to 100.

A left was coming up, going down that road he knew it would take him to the contest hall.

At the light, he burned through the red and spun the wheel entirely left.

The wheels screeched, and he felt the truck tip as they rounded the corner. Car horns blared from all directions, and he kept at the steady 100mph while avoiding incoming traffic.

_He was going to be in so much-_"SHIT!" Ash threw open the driver's side door and threw himself out of the speeding vehicle. He hit the ground hard, his body rolling at least five meters before coming to a halt.

He briefly caught sight of the box truck continuing down the road until running headlong into the magnet train which cut through an intersection.

His eyes widened as the truck was sheared directly in half by the magnetically propelled locomotive, shards of metal fell from the sky, while the back half of the truck lay sparking laid out across the intersection.

_Shit._ Suddenly the ribcage didn't hurt as much as before.

Standing himself up, spectators were torn between watching him and the wreckage in front of them. He paid them no attention, removing the pistol once again from his waistband he now limped on wards.

Domino would have made it to the Contest Hall by then, set up fortification within an area which would prove to be extremely difficult for him to move in.

More so now due to his injuries.

Sirens sung behind him as they went and examined the damage and asked for reports. If needed, he'd deal with that later, instead he limped on and saw the dome roof of the hall come from around the corner.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He entered through the backdoor, picking the lock and sneaking into a hallway which would eventually lead to the lobby.

Domino was in the building, he was sure of it. She would want him at a disadvantage, he knew that as well.

So as he removed Espeons Pokeball from his right pocket, released her, and made a silent command to lead the way.

He had predicted that he'd be led to the central field where the contests were taking place, and he was correct. However instead Domino chose not to enter the crowd of spectators in the stand, or the contestants in the lockers.

Espeon pawed once on the push-lever door that read in bold black letters **RAFTERS**, and tilted her head cutely at Ash.

He placed two fingers to his brow and tapped twice before pointing down the hall which led to the stands. Espeon inclined her head, released a silent 'meow,' and scampered away.

Turning his attention to the door, he reached out and pushed open.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"We're back after the break with the battling portion in the Goldenrod Contest! Let's get this started by introducing our next..."

Ash ignored the commentary as he climbed the metal staircase. Domino would be waiting for him, whether to talk, or for a recapture, or take down, or something else entirely.

She would have planned this out entirely.

The rafters were what you would expect. Beams running along the roof, a grate walkway suspended above the spectators and battlefield.

He knew that if he saw Domino he couldn't risk speaking, should his voice accidentaly carry out down to those below. A commotion would ensue an-

He spun around, right arm springing up as Domino's leg swung for the back of his head. Ash rolled back, raised his hands into a protective stance and tensed.

The violet eyes watched him intently waiting for him to strike.

Down below the crowd started hooting and howling as two contestants took the field.

Ash lunged forward, jabbed outright and pressed forward. Domino ducked, closed the distance and delivered a quick strike to his chest.

He grunted and fell back two paces clutching his ribcage. That's right, he had broken a rib.

Domino caught his grimace and her eyes lit up drastically, yet no smile landed on her cherry flavored lips. He knew this from experience.

She leapt forward, punching jabbing, and kicking in a flurry. He blocked what he could, but was driven back, and unable to fully stop the blows from connecting. His back hit a railing and he ducked as Domino's heel hissed above his head.

A burst of flame shot up on their right side, and the howling beneath increased. With his back to the railing, he dove forward, driving his shoulder into Dominos momentarily throwing her off balance. With that brief moment, he placed distance between himself and her, leapt over the railing and onto one of the support beams a little over a foot in width.

_If I'm going to take her down, I need to level the playing field._

Her foot work was uncanny, but her balance needed work.

His eyes met hers as he back further down the beam, taunting her to take his lead.

She kept her face blank, but he knew well enough that she accepted his challenge without hesitation and swung herself over the railing.

One misstep and either of them would fall a good fifteen meters to the field below, where a crater opened up as two attacks of even strength collided.

Domino advanced, and he moved further away from the walkway until they were directly over the center of the field.

Should a attack go off the mark, they'd both be disoriented if it landed to close.

Which was persicily what he wanted, that and it would encase of emergency leave Espeon clear sight of them encase emergency.

Ash started his attack. Ignoring pain like he had been drilled to do, he leapt forward, striking domino in the lower calf with his leg before throwing a quick left and right.

She swayed sideways as the foot connected, but kept her footing and moved around both punches.

A flurry of leaves ricocheted into the rafters behind them.

The duo landed, blocked, and traded blows. Moving silently all the while in a dance that would not seem to end.

Ash swallowed and felt sweat trickle down his back , _this is going on for to long._ He had a light cut on his lip, and he felt as if he didn't get pressure on his ribs soon, the bone was going to tear through his skin.

This had to end fast.

Dom was far from tired, but she didn't have any broken bones did she, and he knew she could last for a long while.

Her foot sailed towards his head once again, instead of ducking however, he twisted so both hands came up, and caught her foot centimeters from his temple.

He hadn't done that during their training.

Quickly, he pulled hard, and Domino with only one foot to support herself had her foot slide out beneath her making her fall backwards.

Her back hit the steel hard, and while she had the moment of distortion, he drew his sidearm from his waistband and held her at gun point.

The building was roaring with sound, but between then there was only silence.

Her eyes had widened only a small margin at the action, but he knew she was beyond startled.

She was analyzing him, for... For..

For who he was.

Had he been given the antidote, or was he still Shayne.

Her eyes shifted briefly to the open air beside her and then back to his. He started to speak to her, but before he could, her right foot swung in an arc and connected with his hands.

The gun went spiraling through the air away from them and began to fall towards the ground. He dove forward, not at the gun, but at Domino.

The blond rolled sideways, leaving the beam and followed the gun towards the field. The crowd was roaring in confusion, but Ash ignored that and with his belly to the beam he grasped Domino by the scruff of her jacket and gritted his teeth.

They had been noticed now as spectators saw the blond girl hanging from the ceiling, supported only by an arm.

She was looking at him, but that was the least of his concern. He growled, using the strength he had built up over hours and hours of rigorous training to slowly inch Domino up. When he could, he had one knee on the beam and went to set a foot to finally haul her up.

But he slipped. His foot slid back, and he was thrown off balance. He fell forward, in the free dall towards the ground pulling Domino into his chest and rotating them so that he would be the one to hit the ground.

Screams sounded around them, he ignored them all.

Half a meter from the ground, the momentum slowed briefly, and then he hit the ground.

"FUCK!" The words was screamed out of his mouth without regard. His chest was on fire, and a sharp pain coursed through his back.

He gritted his teeth and looked to the person still in his arms.

Domino couldn't keep her shock at bay this time, looking at him with wide eyes and a very small part of her mouth.

He looked her in the eyes and placed his hands carefully on the back of her head, she didn't object.

He opened his mouth, and it looked like she herself was ready to listen, and began to say her name. However he threw his head forward, pulled hers towards his and let the tops collide.

Domino made a soft cry, but her voice was lost quickly as she lost consciousness.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He bit his lip ignoring the screams of confusion and rolled Domino off of him. He shoved his hand into his pocket removed the locator and pressed the button repeatedly. "Come on Come on!" He shouted bringing himself to his knees.

He looked around, and brunette and a Wartortle were pale and looking at him like he was a devil reincarnate, to his right a blue haired girl and her Piplup looked much the same.

He felt two small paws on his shoulders and he sighed, "Good job Esp," He muttered standing up despite the protest his entire body seemed to be screaming at him.

He looked around again and went towards the brunette limping all of the way. Next to her he bent down picked up his M9 and slid it back in his waistband.

Seeing he was armed, the security guard who had begun to make his way over stopped and watched as Ash knelt, scooped Domino into his arms, and start for the doors.

He accomplished one of the two objectives. He captured Domino, but it seemed that his cover may have been blown.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

They had Domino now, she knew nothing of business and he realized that. This was a mission to recapture or test him, which ever it was Domino had her answer.

What happened next would be decided back at the G-Men HQ.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The stadium was silent as the two remaining brutes fought on their final (Or they thought to be final, most had thought that ten minutes ago) stretch of strength.

Lance watched in silence, this battle was no longer in his hands but now his last Pokemon Dragonite.

The dual Dragon and Flying type was bruised, battered, and bloodied as it drove another ice infused fist into the Garchomps crushed ribcage.

His longtime partner was incapable of flight, it's right wing showcasing a gruesome amount of blood and bone from an Bite attack earlier on which all but tore it off.

It's right arm was also immobile from a lethal Slash which severed a muscle or tendon in it's shoulder.

Garchomp wasn't much better off.

When Ash had said that the modifications to his Pokeballs would bring out a far more wild and animalistic side to his Pokemon it was true. Dragonite had had torn off the back left fin on the Garchomps elbow, which was now catching dust off to the side.

He had caved in the ribcage completely, and with each jab thrown the organs were being crushed in to jelly.

"DRAGONITE!" Lance shouted furiously, "END THIS WITH A FIRE PUNCH!"

"COUNTER WITH DRAGON FANG!" Radian retaliated swiftly. The Rocket had not accounted for the equal amount of ferocity from the current Champion. And the battle had soon become a Pokemon for a Pokemon, when one fell so did the other.

And a tie would not make him the Champion should that happen.

Garchomp rushed forward, its teeth glowing a murky blue which sank deep into Dragonites shoulder, who screeched as its free hand pulled back bursting into a blaze of fire.

"FINISH IT!"

The screech amplified ten fold and Garchomps teeth began pull. Dragonite through its fist right into the powdered ribcage, before bellowing as the teeth in its shoulder ripped away, taking meat and tendons with it.

The crowd screamed in fright and horror, not from the action of the battle.

Dragonites fist plowed through the soft skin and into Garchomps organs, and with a screech of pain and triumph grabbed a handful of crushed bone and organs and pulled them from inside.

The organs sputtered blood from the wound, and were tossed aside in a mess.

Garchomp, with a chunk of Dragonites shoulder still in its razor sharp jaws, staggered back shrieking in pain. The chunk of meat fell to the ground, and Dragonite raised its one usable fist.

And drove it hard into its skull.

Seconds passed, and then a minute.

Lance turned to the referee, "Call it." The voice was emotionless, no sympathy what so ever for the horrid scene in front of them all.

He didn't, not immediately anyways as he stared at the lifeless body laying on the ground. Blood leaking from the wound and soaking the ground around it.

He lifted the green flag, and in a shaky voice spoke, "Garchomp is unable... Unable to battle! The victory goes to the current Champion Lance!"

And like that, the first strike against Team Rocket began.

* * *

**Here it is, beginning was writ like a month and a half ago and I just couldn't keep going. But I managed. (I'll go over and do corrections tomorrow, I got homework to do right now)  
**

**II I did my calculations correctly, I see this story having 8 or 9 more chapters, possibly seven if I extend on certain parts or throw in a filler or two.**

**Next, no idea when the updates coming for any stories. I'm busy with original writing and have been spending little time on FF as of late.**

**So, I know its been a while, but this story and no other of mine are being abandoned let me tell you that. I'll see these through till the end even if it kills me.**

**Thanks for reading, please drop in a review and tell me what ya thought.**

**Until next time, this is ThatOneDwarf **_**signing off!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Fifteen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Less then fifteen minutes after he left the contest hall, where police were beginning to show up for investigation, he was on board a jet with both Misty and Alyssa for the return trip to the HQ.

He did not sit with them however.

He had brought Domino on board before either of the girls had arrived at the E-Vac site, and had taken her into a storage room where he bound and blindfolded her.

He then proceeded to treat the minor wounds she had taken. A bruise here, small cut there. And finally he had given her a small dose of anesthetic to knock her out for the trip.

When she was secure and comfortable, he examined himself and was not pleased with the damage he'd done.

He had been reckless, something which he knew by all means he shouldn't have let happen. But his emotions and feelings had gotten the better of him-

_Affection is a weakness_

And that ended with him needing at least two weeks recuperation before returning to the field.

His shoulder had dislocated from the fall, and the rib he had broken had pierced through purple and black bruising from when he hit the truck.

No permanent damage though, which was for the better.

Eight hours later, they had arrived at the Headquarters.

Misty and Alyssa, who hadn't seen him the entire flight, were confused and anxious as they saw him carrying the unconscious blonde off the plane, with a noticeable limp.

When they asked him, he remained quiet, entering the building and starting directly for the holding room.

He was the first to arrive, so he brought Domino in, secured her to the table and chair, and left the room without a sound.

When he did, the intercom sang _"Ash Ketchum to the briefing room, repeat, Ketchum to the briefing room"_ and he knew that it was time to be yelled at.

Sitting around a round table, were Cynthia, Steven and Anderson. The last of the three looking positively livid.

He sat down, looked at the three of them and nodded.

Cynthia spoke first, she didn't _sound_ angry or displeased, so he was glad, "Lance won the match," she said, "Four of his six will likely never battle again, but he won."

"They may still battle if their heart wills it," Ash replied, "when he returns I'll be repairing their Pokeballs so they're viciousness will subside,"

"His battle is garnering massive reactions from media," She went on, "But unfortunately, a bigger story is out there," His eyebrow rose, but he had that inkling of a feeling he knew what it was about, "Watch."

Cynthia turned the laptop on the table so that the screen faced him, onscreen were seven regional news stations all broadcasting the same thing but with different titles, _Dead or Alive? Trainer Ash Ketchum or imposter?_

"Circumstances don't always go as planned," He said simply.

Anderson looked like his fuse was about to burst, but thankfully remained silent, "You may have been seen, but in reality that is a minor detail. Whether they know you are alive or not is unimportant, what really matters is-"

"Domino," Ash finished.

"So it is Domino," Cynthia whispered, and seeing Ashs raised eyebrow elaborated, "Alyssa filled me in on the way back of your involvement with her. I'm surprised really at the restraint you showed during the take down if what you Alyssa told up was true,"

"I wouldn't harm her," Blinking at his words he tacked on, "she's to valuable of an asset,"

Steven regarded him curiously, "What do you propose we do Ash, should you be the one to interrogate her. Or would you like us to do it?"

What did he want? _I want to speak to her, hug her, kiss her. But I can't, not now, not yet. I'll speak to her, alone, but not yet._

"Speak with her for now, but you won't get through to her. She'll remain silent, she's been trained just as hard as I've been so it'll be near impossible to get her to talk," _Unless it's to me._

"You spoke fairly fast when we brought you-"

"The situation was different," Ash cut off quickly, "I spoke to you but gave nothing up, it was only when Pikachu showed up that I started letting things slip. I thought I was hallucinating, I thought I was having another of my fits. Stress had built up over along time, and whatever I said came out easily enough."

He rolled his shoulders, his right still fairly sore, and said easily, "Domino has nothing to worry about," _Lies,_ "she has no reason what-so-ever to tell you a thing."

"What if we trade information about you?" Steven asked, "She is an Elite and has had a hand in your umm," He cleared his throat, "previous training when you were at the Ecruteak Academy,"

Ash shook his head, "No, nothing about me. And _that_ is an order-"

"You can't _order_ us here boy-"

Ash rounded on the Lieutenant, "Just like I can't snap your neck faster then you can get off your ass?" He growled, "your not my superior _Terry_, your opinion means _nothing _to me because you can't learn to forget about the men that died under your command-"

"Ash!" Cynthia barked sternly, but was ignored.

"You don't like me and I could give less of a damn, but if you don't drop the damn attitude, learn to put the past aside, and stop giving me that fucking look. I'll break your jaw, and I'd do it gladly so I don't have to hear your voice got it!?"

Anderson glared at Ash, his face bright red. Ash knew he killed Anderson's men, and for that he knew the Lieutenant would have it out for him. But if that tone, that damn _look _appeared one more time. The one that all to clearly labeled him as a monster, then he'd lose his cool.

Anderson stood, his chair screeching against the hard wood floor, and left for the door.

When is clacked shut, Cynthia regarded him coldly, "Ash-"

"He needed to hear it," Ash said sharply, "I said it before, you want my help, then keep men like him away from me. I have enough to deal with as is, I don't need someone staring at me as if I'm going to pull out a gun and light the place up. If he want's to work then fine, if he's going to be a prick then keep. Him. Out."

Ash stood on his own now, "I need to go to the infirmary, I have a bit of my ribs sticking out from my stomach, I'm tired, sore, bruised, and so I'm going to get checked out. Speak to Domino if you will, or whatever. I need to patch myself up."

Only now, did Cynthia and Steven see the limp he walked with and the way his arm was held protectively to his side. "He's... Something else," Steven said lowly, "but what he said was true, you could hear it clearly in Andersons tone that he was about to pull off some sort of comment,"

Cynthia nodded, "The end result wouldn't have been pretty, especially with how Ash is right now." They sat in silence for a short period before she said skeptically, "Did he seem like he was keeping something to himself?"

Steven stood next, "I wouldn't question it Cynth, if it comes to it we can question him. There are a lot of things we still don't know about him, but right now we need to contact Lance. See if they took this Raiden character into custody."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The doctors said he needed two weeks recuperation, three if he exercised regularity.

He didn't have three weeks though, he had a few days sure, each day Team Rocket worked their way through the system and slowly gained power. He needed to be on his toes, ready to get back out whenever a situation called for him.

Right now Domino was his assignment, but despite his need to see and speak to her, he restrained himself.

No matter how much it hurt him.

He owed it to speak with Misty and Alyssa after ignoring them for the past 12 hours.

After that, he'd sleep.

Then he'd make his decision, stay or go.

He moved slowly down the hallways, ignoring looks like always that were sent his way, and towards the lounge.

As he neared, he caught his mothers voice from inside, "Are you sure you should be... Should be telling us this without his permission?"

His eyebrows furrowed and he stopped to the side of the door frame, "I... It's, well..." Alyssa was put off by something, shaken, "I've... On the day of Indigo, not long before he was shot... When Ash left the lodge, and we went looking for him, the day of the shooting I learned why he... Why he left when he did,"

_There' isn't going to be tomorrow for me Aly_

He blinked and shook his head, pushing his voice aside for the time being.

"Remember when I told you, Ash sank to... Levels where he wanted to, _quit_ Team Rocket by any means?"

"W-Where are... Does this have to do when you kissed-"

"He, he wanted out. For good, no more Team Rocket... No more nothing,"

_Hero homicide?_ He wouldn't try... Would he?

There wasn't a response for sometime, and he was tempted to go in and breakup this information party when Alyssa spoke again, "I tried to stop him, he didn't want me to. I'd have to shoot him myself to get him to change his mind, he went into the battle knowing he'd be... Killed."

"He... He wouldn't... Not A-Ash..." This was Misty, her voice quivering, trying unsuccessfully to not accept her words.

"You wanted to know why I kissed him. I kissed him because I thought I'd never see him again, because he said his goodbyes back at the lodge, because I was losing the most important person in the world to me,"

_Where? _Was the only thought he had. Where had she kissed him? Mouth, or cheek. Did they have something... Were they... Before the shooting...?

A wave of nausea struck from out of the blue, and he pushed himself away from the wall and opposite the door. His vision swam, and he staggered, falling to a knee before willing himself to get to the bathroom.

_What is this?_ Was he remembering... Or was something... Was something wrong with hi-

His legs gave out from beneath him, his hands reached out asking for something to grasp, but all they did was close on empty air.

His chest hit the ground, and pain coursed through him but was lost as his minded faded once again into unconsciousness.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Domino had since regained consciousness, removed the blindfold despite her being handcuffed and sat still in her chair.

She knew for a fact that it had been Ash who had cuffed her to the table as they were fairy loose around the wrists, which either meant he trusted her, or he was planning something.

Or something she wasn't entirely aware of as of yet.

So she'd wait until he came to her, she wouldn't speak to him. Not until she knew who he was, her Shayne, or the person before him.

Should it be Shayne, she'd be careful, unsure of what or why he was doing what he was doing. And more importantly more unaware of what he did and did not know.

She did, for instant have a few triggers she could use encase of emergency.

Giovanni had after all, made sure there were fail safes implanted into Ashs memory when the memory wiping had taken place.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

They found him unconscious, brought him to the infirmary, and could not find a reason for him to pass out.

The only reasoning form the doctors was exhaustion.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_What's happening to me..._

He bent back and his spine popped, he let out a relieved sigh.

Ash raised his hands before him and started on the punching bag once again. He knew he wasn't supposed to be stressing his body, but he couldn't stop himself.

When he slept, he saw Alyssa held by those Grunts, knife pressed to her cheek.

When he slept, he saw his home back in Pallet in flames.

When he slept, he saw the bodies of his friends.

When he slept, he saw that it was his fault.

So he pushed himself, hard. Past the limit, to the point where he wanted nothing more then to lay down and die.

But he couldn't.

It was his fault for what would happen if he didn't protect those he loved. He needed to be faster, stronger, smarter.

If he didn't?

They would all die.

The punching bag sunk inwards with his fist, swallowing itself from its center, as it was thrown by the force of his fist off the hook and across the room. It hit the ground, rolled three meters, and stopped.

A little over a year now it had been. Since he'd been brought into Team Rocket and begun to use his Aura.

The ability was disturbing he thought as he went over to the bag on the ground, gripped it with both hands and began dragging it back to the stand.

He could control it if he was calm, or most of the time anyways.

If he did, he was faster, his reflexes sharper, his strength... Uncanny.

But when he was angry, focusing on it, or even thinking about it, might accidentally call upon it.

So he took his anger, or stress out on the bags, or by lifting weights. On something that wouldn't feel the pain he wanted to inflict.

He set it back onto the hook, and went back to work. The leather surface rippled like water as his fist drove repeatedly into it.

His reason for the anger this time was not for what had been done to him, but because of what was happening- or what he believed would happen to Alyssa.

A new guy, Grant his name was, was... Getting _buddy buddy_ with Alyssa. Something he didn't like in the least.

Grant was new to the Academy, and... Ash cracked his neck, Giovanni had gone and requested that _Alyssa _be the person to help him should he need something.

She seemed alright with it, you can't deny a request from the boss after all, and had accepted.

But now all she had done was help him. He came to join them when they ate, (Ash turned him around each time) when they had free time, and just when ever he damned felt like it.

But here's the thing, Ash could not figure out the reason why. _You don't get a tour guide in Team Rocket, your given a list of tasks and you better damned do it well unless you want to be punished._ So what was Giovanni's and this guys aim?

He didn't know.

But the worst of the entire situation, Alyssa seemed fine with it. And this threw him off completely as it was so out of her character.

She seemed alright with the tag along, even though he had explained that there had to be reason behind his being there.

She told him he was being paranoid.

Him... _Paranoid._ It wasn't paranoia that was eating at him, it was... It was... Hell he didn't _know_ what was eating at him, but he didn't for the life of him like that Grant guy following Alyssa everywhere.

Something was going to happen.

But what?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Misty sat alone in her room, phone in her hand with a number already dialed in.

All she had to do was press call.

The decision she was making, or wanted to make was scaring her.

When Ash's memories came back, he'd remember that they had had a relationship. He'd also remember Alyssa's kiss, before going on to learn that not long after his death she began to see Gary.

Which would direct him towards the former Rocket- Misty blinked and shook her brown hair. _I shouldn't be thinking of her like that,_ she thought ashamed.

If she considered Alyssa a member of Team Rocket, then that was the same as calling Ash a Rocket.

And they weren't.

Not anymore.

_I hope..._This last thought directed more so towards Ashs case. He was a Rocket still, they all knew that until his memories returned.

So until then, she had to start building her relationship with him. Something where Alyssa was certainly farther then her in. Misty only knew fragments of the last six years of Ashs past, Alyssa knew five.

The blond knew the person he had been before his... His second kidnapping like the back of her hand, while she knew little to none.

So she had to make her choice.

Fight for Ashs affection, or remain with Gary.

She didn't know which to choose.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Grant... Ash wanted to try his hand at interrogation, he'd never had thought before. But as he sat at the darkened table in the back of the cafeteria with Alyssa and the member of Team Rocket...

He wanted to take him to the basement and have a go.

Something. Was. _Wrong!_

"-And according to the media, a bill was denied in secrecy that dealt with the age ruling for becoming a Trainer,"

Alyssa sipped her water, and looked to Ash, "What do ya think about that Ash? Do you think that would have benefited training or hindered it? You are a Trainer after all,"

He remained silent, cap pulled down so that the shadow entirely shielded his eyes. He had told her repeatedly when they were alone, he would not be himself in front of this guy.

His cold demeanor was for _everyone_ but her, so in the presence of this jerk-off he'd have to present that to her as well.

Grant, who was Alyssa's age (How bout that?) looked Ash up and down and smiled, "Still shy huh? Well it's a good thing you've got a great gal like Aly-"

Oh the will power he possessed. How much strength it had taken him to not lunge over the table and break that son of a bitches nose.

_He_ was the only one who called her that.

He called her Aly.

Sue called her 'Lyssa on occasion.

But this guy...

Ash stood, his chair silent as it pushed against the ground. He took the water bottle, went around the table to Alyssa and whispered in her ear, "I'll break his nose if I stay here, I'll be in the gym for a few hours. Come when he's gone." And ignoring her hurt look, he started for the cafeteria doors.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Lance had arrived back at the Headquarters a few hours after Ash had lapsed into unconsciousness.

The Specialist was currently laying on a cot in the infirmary, strapped to the bed and kept away from his family members.

A few days after Ash had accepted the deal with Cynthia to help the G-Men, he had informed them of his hallucinations and what they did to his thought process.

He told them about the most recent shooting, and told them that should he pass out unexpectedly on them, it would be for their benefit to keep him held down encase a repeat should occur.

So as he was held in confinement, Cynthia, Steven and himself stood outside of Domino's room.

They watched her through the window and he said, "What do you think Cynth? How should we go through with this?"

The Sinnoh Champion placed a finger to her lip and regarded the captive with hesitant gray eyes.

"Ash said we wouldn't get any information from her. We should believe him on that, because as he said his situation was different. Hers however, is not."

"Do we have a name yet?" Steven asked, "Other then 009, Domino, or Black Tulip?"

"No, but Alyssa is looking into it," Said Cynthia absently, "She's surprisingly skilled working on it, she still has access into their databases so we set her up with a secure network to see if she can come across anything useful,"

"She has a grudge against the Tulip," Steven said pointedly, "you should have heard her over the radio when she spotted her. If not for Ash, I can say she would have pulled the trigger,"

"If not for Ash," Lance spoke, "We'd be down three regional Champion titles. We owe him for what he'd done for the battle,"

Cynthia sighed, "I have a feeling we'll be owing him a lot more by the time this is done,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

If he didn't stop staring withing the next few seconds, Ash was going to walk over there and tear his eyes out.

Grant didn't think he'd see with his back turned to him. But he saw the way the Rocket member... The member... _Watched _Alyssa inappropriately as she went through a light work out. The bastards stare on her...

Ash shook his head and tilted his direction of the pull up bar, "Go for twenty if you can," he kept his voice low even though Grant was on the other side of the room, "then fifteen sit ups okay?"

Alyssa took her towel, wiped it across her forehead, and nodded, "Alright," She said breathlessly.

He and her had a difference on what a _light workout_ consisted of, but he kept the bar from being to exhausting for her.

Her situation wasn't like his, he could handle himself easily enough despite how tired he was. But she could do fairly well one on one (He had seen this first hand) but that was only if she was fully rested.

So he kept her from reaching exhaustion, to be on the safe side.

He watched patiently as she pulled her chin above the bar twenty three times before laying on the ground, knees bent.

He stepped lightly on her toes, and she began the sit-ups, "What should we do after this?" He asked quietly, "The _two_ of us,"

He saw her roll her eyes and he fought back the wave of irritation that struck him, "Dinner?" She proposed.

He looked skyward and shrugged, "Let's not eat in the cafeteria tonight," and she blinked.

"Where else would we eat?"

Since his back was turned to Grant, he allowed a small grin on his lips, "I know a place," and her eyebrow rose, "how about eight? I've got to run 5K before I shower, so that'll give you time to wash up and get ready,"

His grin widened a margin as she her eyes lit with anxiousness, "You don't know any places," She chided teasingly, and then grunted as she completed her seventeenth sit-up, "but sure, it's a date,"

He allowed his eyebrow to raise and she laughed, "Where should we meet up?" she asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Outside your dorm, I..." Here he hesitated, "I've got to get Sue to look at something for me, it's nothing really important,"

"Is it a rash-"

Ash almost rounded on him, broken his jaw, and thrown him into the mirrored wall. But he ignored the comment and continued looking at Alyssa, "Hands up, feet spread, legs bent,"

She took the stance like she always did and he said, "Have at it,"

So she went on the offense, swinging, kicking, ducking, all like he had shown her to when they began training together.

He never struck her, but corrected her when she made a mistake or misjudged in timing.

This continued on for sometime until he told her to hit the showers.

A few hours later, he did something he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Due to habit, Sue had chosen to watch over Ash while he was out. Like when he had been under her care, she had checked his overall health, lacerations, bruising, trauma. He had more scars then she remembered, and after what she heard he and Alyssa had been doing, she found it hard to believe that he was still in working order.

His eyes were closed, and he lay shirtless on the cot so that the wires attached above his heart were free from obstruction.

When she had seen Ash being carried towards the infirmary, she had followed and been the one to tend to him.

While she had done so, much to the objection of the other doctors, the scene had played out much like it had in the past. Although there were more people caring for him then just her and Alyssa.

Alyssa, Misty, and Delia had been the first to arrive while she tended to him. Alyssa was confused, and worried, panicking with such a strange likeness to how she had been at the Academy.

Asking for every little thing, was he alright, what happened, was he going to die. She went the distance, over analyzing what had happened, and ended tearing up.

Misty and Delia were worried, but not quite to Alyssa's length. Delia had asked her for what happened, and when she had replied with over-exhaustion the mother had sighed with relief.

That is until the Sinnoh and former Hoenn Champion arrived, where they had her strap Ash down to the cot to make him immobile.

After some explanation, most on the Champions part about Ash's warning, they had been escorted from the room while, she scoffed when she heard this, the hired staff looked after him. Because according to some sonna bitch in a suit they were the best people for the job.

Despite that she had been the one who looked after him for a little over two years.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash did not run after Alyssa left for the showers, but instead went towards the battlefields. He had a meeting today, something he hoped wouldn't take long so he could prepare for that night, and Giovanni did not like to be kept waiting.

He climbed the steps up to the door of the lobby, pushed open, and went across to Giovanni's office.

The Grunt usually stationed at the desk next to the door was not there at the moment, so he knocked twice and waited without the usual interruption of _'You can't just-'_ before being silenced with a stare.

The door opened and Giovanni regarded him coolly, "Ash, you're looking well." He kept silent, "How long now has it been?" He asked, "Not since your accident I suppose?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

Giovanni grinned that tight lipped grin and stepped aside so he could enter, "I just want to speak with you, is that so wrong?"

_What the hell does he want?_

They sat down at his large oak desk and Giovanni placed his palms flat down on the surface, "How has everything been going lately?"

"Why is he here?" Ash asked plainly, Giovanni's happy go lucky bullshit attitude was frightening. For such a cold man to speak the way he was, as if they were going golfing on some Sunday afternoon together was completely wrong.

"Who?"

"Grant, why is he here."

Giovanni looked confused, "You'll have to be more specific Ash, I really don't know-"

"That fucker you assigned the girl to watch, why!?"

When Giovanni's eyes lit up, Ash felt his spine shiver, "It would be better if you kept your language appropriate Ash," he paused, "he's a new recruit much like yourself, although he's taken to life here much faster then you have,"

_Lies, 100% general grade BS. _Ash shook his head, "Why here? Why the girl?"

"She seems like a wonderful candidate for the job of showing the young lad around. You and her have become close have you not?"

_Fuck off,_ Ash kept any expression off his face and said, "He can make friends elsewhere,"

Giovanni grinned, and Ash wanted to break his teeth in, "Are you jealous of the boy?"

Ash allowed the scoff to escape him and he shook his head, _ridiculous, _"Transfer him out of here, he's causing trouble."

"Oh, how so?" The Boss seemed amused by the idea.

"If you really brought him here like me, which I sure as hell doubt, then why hasn't he gotten my treatment huh? He's not here because of the girl, I'd bet my life on it, you brought him here because of me. Why? What for?"

"You've become more observant," He remarked, "your training has been moving along steadily. I'm proud-"

"It's not for you, now answer the question."

Their eyes met, and Ash thought he had crossed the line by addressing him like that.

"Careful boy," Giovanni said lowly, black eyes flickering dangerously, "the boy's here for reasons that do not concern you," _Lies_, "we're done here, now leave."

Ash stared at the Boss, before sliding his chair back, standing and leaving the room without another glance his way.

He didn't like this.

He didn't like this one bit.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

She didn't like it one bit.

She really didn't.

Alyssa typed rapidly into her laptop, eyes darting from file to file as she hunted down Domino's identity.

She had the opportunity to kill her, sights directly on her skull.

He had told her not to shoot.

Why? She realized that it could simply be for the reasons that she had been the _business man_ like they thought. And it was his assignment to take her down.

But it wasn't, there was something else to it.

_Don't shoot! Don't Shoot!_

His voice was different than, surprised, nervous... He was hiding something from them, something that dealt with 009.

But what? Was she relevant to him? Did they meet within the past year? Something had happened, but she didn't know what.

And she was afraid to ask, afraid to find out that the person who had killed and tortured him had become an ally.

Or even worse, a friend.

So she hunted for information, not only on her birth name, but for records of the past year.

While Ash was still asleep, she was going to help him by finding information to use on the Rocket held in captivity for when he began his interrogation, seeing as how the Champions had failed to garner any information.

For now that was all she could do, later on though...

She figured she may seriously have to get back in the game.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The weather was perfect with it being mid-June. Even though summer had started, the sky had blackened fairly fast, with stars peppered across the void.

On the rooftop of the Academy, he had set down a blanket for them to sit on for stargazing, and liberated a few pillows as well.

He had taken the privileged of pocketing an elevator key a week before when he had gotten into a scrum with a couple of Grunts who thought it'd be fun to interrupt his tracking class.

And what better way to have dinner, then under the stars? Something neither of them had done in years.

Ash walked over to the side of the roof and peered over the edge, he'd been up there a few times that week to mark out landmarks, surroundings, and obstacles.

Time was ticking, and he wanted out of Team Rocket. His Aura was coming along well, so now all he had to do was figure out how he would escape.

Faster reflexes could only do so much.

He tossed the though aside, and started back towards the elevator. He slid the card in the scanner, and the doors rolled apart.

It was dangerous to ride the elevator during the day, from 6AM to 7:30 at night were when the drill instructors rode often to change floors.

Afterwords it died down to those few who looked to catch a late dinner before heading off to bed.

Curfew was curfew no matter who you were.

Leaving the elevator, he was glad to see no one insight, he was after all not allowed to have a card that gave him access to multiple floors.

He was only allowed the stairs.

He moved sneakily enough towards the girls dorm, pushing himself into nooks and crannies when the evening patrol began there shifts.

Curfew was 8:30, but they began shoveling people towards their rooms near 7:45.

When he rounded the corner, he saw Alyssa dressed in a pair of black sweats and a loose long-sleeved shirt, he grinned, "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yep!" She replied cheerfully, a grin of her own, "lead the way!"

They walked to the cafeteria chatting quietly, while they did so Ash had that feeling of being watched.

Something was off.

He didn't let it show though as they stepped through the doors and over to the counter. The cafeteria locked up at 8 and was usually abandoned by the staff half an hour before when everyone had cleared out.

Ash hopped over the counter, (Strangely reminiscent of what he would do about a year later) and gestured for Alyssa to follow his lead, "I don't think they'd mind so much if we raided the fridges, what do ya think?"

Her grin widened and she vaulted herself over the top, "I can't help but believe your right Ash,"

So they raided, a silent raid, but raid non-the less. In the back corner, Ash found a cardboard box which they piled their dinner into and set it on the counter, "What do you want for a drink?" He asked looking away from the contents of the fridge and to the blond who had her head poked into a pantry.

"Are their any soda leftover? Or is that all gone?"

He looked back and grabbed the last brand inside, "We've got four cans of knock off root beer left? Is that alright?"

"Sounds good!" It was times like these when her cheerfulness lifted his spirits. The paranoia he had felt about being watched slowly faded from his mind, and once they had enough they took their loot and started for the elevator.

Alyssa had been surprised when he had pulled out the card, she had had hers confiscated and replaced with one which carried less access to multiple floors should she help him escape. (A topic they had yet to speak about was why he had been brought to the Academy, as he still had no clue himself)

He merely shrugged her surprise aside and said, "I've still got a few tricks here or there," as the words left his mouth he glanced over his shoulder as he had the feeling comeback.

When the doors rolled open, he handed her the box, "I'm going to get changed out of these, head to the rooftop and I'll be back in 10 alright?"

She seemed even more surprised, "Rooftop?" He winked, pushed her lightly in and hit the button for rooftop. When they closed shut, he slid the keycard into his pocket and started for his room.

He wasn't sure how long they'd stay up on the roof, but he figured a couple hours at the most.

He hoped this would relieve the stress he'd been feeling for the past month with-

Rounding a corner, he walked headfirst into a Rocket. For the brief moment of distortion he felt, he blinked and felt his eyes darken as he stared into Grant's green eyes.

"Oh ho, sorry there Ketchum," Grant the ever cheerful said, "didn't see ya coming, I'll see ya later," Ash kept silent and still as the Rocket walked around, and past him.

When he was out of sight, Ash picked up his pace. The nagging feeling back once again.

Something. _Is._ Wrong.

Returning to his storage closet of a room, he stripped off his sweatshirt for a more favorable short sleeved T, and his sweat pants for a pair of clean workout shorts. It was going to be a warm night.

While he was alone, he shut his eyes held out his hands and let out a calm steady breath across his lips.

He felt the cool of Aura flowing around his core, he concentrated on bringing the feeling to his finger tips when his head snapped up, eyes flashed open, and looked to the door in surprise.

He had heard something.

How though.

He tore open his door, and out into the hall. He glanced around and was surprised when the world flashed blue and grey around him. The halls moved and separated, as if looking through another persons eyes as his vision moved around corners, down halls, until it reached the elevator.

His vision seemed to climb up a grey pulsing elevator-chute, and out through the seam left from the two doors on the top floor.

Horror spiked, his heart flat-lined, and the imaging disappeared. Leaving him standing in the hall.

He'd seen Alyssa.

She wasn't alone.

He ran, heart thundering in his ears as he sprinted towards the elevator. Alyssa was on the roof, and she wasn't alone.

Something was happening.

He seemed to go faster then what was humanly possible as he sprinted straight up to the elevator doors and shoved his hand into his pocket.

Except he didn't have a pocket, he wore shorts.

Alyssa wasn't alone on the roof, and he had forgotten the key.

His room was far, the stairs were around the corner.

He ran, hearing things he shouldn't be as his feet carried him up the hundreds of steps. A grunt had been climbing leisurely down, when he was shoved roughly aside by Ash as he continued his ascent.

The door leading to the roof required a key, he didn't have one.

She was going to get hurt, it would be his fault.

Anger spiked as he stopped in front of the roof top door. He hammered on it, "ALYSSA!" He shouted furiously! "ALYSSA OPEN THE DOOR!"

And then he heard her call, "ASH! HEL-"

Silence, "It's GRAN-" silence.

She didn't finish, but he knew.

He knew and he hated himself.

She wasn't alone, he couldn't reach her, and Grant was with her.

He was going to kill him.

Little did he know, that even though it was used figuratively, it would soon become reality.

He didn't realize when his eye flashed blue as his foot connected where the lock on the door would be.

The door was a heavy metal, but sailed back on its hinges as if some cheap wood.

He stepped out into the night, and heard the struggle. His eyes locked on the pair laying on the blanket.

Fury built, fury he never thought possible as he saw Alyssa struggling to escape from beneath Grant. The latter of the two had torn Alyssa's shirt off and was now working his way to her-

Ash had closed the distance in less then 2 seconds, ripping the Rocket from atop her and then diving atop him.

He punched him repeatedly in the nose, it shattered.

He punched him repeatedly in the ribs, 4 broke.

Ash grabbed the son of a bitch by the collar, "I'll fucking ki-_UFF!_" An elbow caught him in the stomach and he was winded.

Grant freed one arm, pulled back and threw a quick shot at his head. Ash pushed the Rocket away as his head snapped to the side.

Grant began crawling back, before standing and sending him a delirious, crazy grin. "She's small," He said lowly, and Ashs eyes narrowed, "Not much there, but she tastes-"

Ash cut him off, kicking him in the abdomen before punching at the now horribly misshapen nose. Something was happening, Giovanni knew, he cooked this up.

He'd kill him, he'd do it.

Proudly.

Ash went forward to throw one last shot into his temple, but Grant surprised him by nimbly side stepping, moving behind him and kicking at his back.

Ash staggered forward, caught himself and felt his blood run cold.

Alyssa ducked a jab, retaliated with a right, "ALYSSA GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

It was to late, Grant landed a solid left to her shoulder, she turned with the blow briefly, and then before she knew it, his arm was around her throat, and his hand was on her bare stomach holding her to him.

Alyssa's eyes shut as she felt Grants hand move up from her navel, "I can see why you like this one so much Ketchum,"

"A-Ash!"

"Pretty, slim, smells _heavenly-"_ His hand was creeping higher... And Higher.

Ash took a step forward, "N-N-Neh No Ketchum," Grant grinned, and moved the hand the was moving up to his waistband, "You stay there and watch the show,"

_Why... Why is this happening._

"A-Ash help me..."

He couldn't though, not after seeing the glinting metal of the steel blade in the moonlight. The blade pressed to her throat and Ash swallowed anxiously.

He was unarmed, this psychotic son of a bitch had Alyssa at knife point, and he was violating...

Something... Something happened there. Something he would think about often for the next few years.

Grant walked Alyssa back towards the edge, used the hand that did not hold the knife to move towards the waistband of her sweats and began to lower them.

Before the Rocket with the crazy grin lowered enough to reveal her underwear, Ash snapped.

"Press back and push." His voice was fast, and before he finished he had advanced.

He and Alyssa trained, on occasion with knives. Never real, but should the occasion arise where one of them was in a fix. They had words or signals they used during training to pass on as a message.

And Alyssa caught his words immediately.

She shoved backwards into Grant, startling him, her hands shot up to the hand which held the knife to her throat and caught it as soon as she felt extra pressure applied.

She held the knife at bay for less then a second before Ash intervened.

In a trance like state, Ash had taken the knife hand, twisted it away from Alyssas throat, and shoved her aside. Grants eyes widened, and Ash with his free hand grabbed the Rockets elbow in an iron handed grip and stared directly in to his eyes as he slowly forced the knife to face Grants heart.

Grants free hand had come to try and shake his hand loose, but Ash was immovable. He tried a face shot, Ash ducked, moved behind him and wrapped an arm firmly around his neck while still drawing the knife closer to his chest.

Ash turned them so that Grant faced the edge of the rooftop, and then as if Grant wasn't even trying to stop the blade anymore. Ash drove the knife through his chest, and heard him gasp.

Three seconds past, and Ash released the knife, the hilt still protruding from Grants chest.

He placed a hand on his back, and pushed.

Ash watched, body shaking, heart pounding in his ears as the Rockets body tumbled over the side towards the ground.

That was the first time he killed a man.

That was the day he changed forever.

"A-Ash..." He spun away from the ledge, and saw Alyssa huddled on the ground looking at him with tears streaking down her cheeks.

He forgot Grant, forgot he had taken his life.

Ash hurried to Alyssa, getting to his knees and sweeping her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry," He whispered feeling his own eyes hurt, "I'm so sorry Aly, I'm sorry."

"I-I..." She clung to him tighter, "He came up, I thought he was you. B-But then he came and and... My shirt and..." She cried harder and he felt anger swelling in him.

It was his fault.

He should have been there.

He should have done something before this had happened.

What would have happened if he had been a few minutes later, even seconds?

Would she have been raped? Killed?

That would have been on his consciousness if that had happened.

He held her tighter and shut his eyes, what would he do if he lost the most important person in the world to him?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

His eyes opened, and they darted around the room. They had listened after all, Ash went to lift his wrists and was glad to see they were secured to the bed.

How long had he been out? Minutes? Hours? Days? He didn't know, but he figured the longer the better as he need sleep anyways.

It was more of a coma he figured, but his body was rested none the less.

He took in a deep breath, and called out, "CYNTHIA!? DOCTOR!? SOMEONE!?"

He waited, and waited, and soon enough a young nurse came in, needle in hand looking at him hesitantly, "I'm good" he said softly, "not going to cause any harm."

She came up to him, eying him wearily, "Are you sure, we have calming agents encase,"

He smiled at her, and she seemed to relax a little, "I'm good, it was just exhaustion, nothing else," _Lies._

She undid the restraints and he thanked her, "How longs has it been?" He asked curiously rubbing his wrists.

"Three days," His eyebrow rose, "the Champions would like to speak with you if your feeling alright, although I recommend you go eat before anything else,"

"I will, thank you."

He left, ate, and then met with the Champions. The dream was pressed to the back of his mind until he had time to properly examine it. For now as he entered the briefing room, Cynthia stood and came over to him.

"We need you to speak with her,"

* * *

**I'm not going to lie, I really enjoy writing about what took place during Ash's time at the Academy. **

**I really had no intention of having that in this chapter, or at all honestly. This was going to be a chapter of Dominos interrogation, but that was scrapped until next, which should turn out better then I had originally anticipated.**

**So two chapters in less then a week, I'm happy, so I may even get on next depending on how I feel.**

**Anyways, I moved the plot forward, learned some stuff bout Ash and Alyssa, and well...**

**Yeah I had fun writing it, so please drop in a review and let me know what you all thought! Love, hate, liked? What? Anything is fine, so until next time!**

**ThatOneDwarf Signing off!**

* * *

**###Post Edit: Question! Is there anything in particular with this story you'd like to see past wise? There's alot of stuff unknown in the 5 years Ash was gone, and I'm curious if there's anything in particular you guys would want to see/read about. If there is put it in a review or message me and I'll see if I can't answer some of your questions in a given flash back, or story.  
**

**Thanks, See ya again!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sixteen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"How did she say it precisely?" He asked quietly regarding Domino from the observation window.

"Bring him," Lance stated running a hand through his hair, "That was two days ago, she won't be to thrilled you kept her waiting,"

_She won't care as long as I'm Shayne._

He made a grunting sound and watched her intently.

She sat with a perfect posture, and straight face. Because of that, he knew she slept at night. Six hours per night at most.

She'd be coherent, and understanding. Wouldn't jump to conclusions, and would listen.

He brought his eyes away from her and to the three who stood next to him. They... They were the problem at the moment.

They planned to watch as he interrogated, he couldn't have that happen. He and Domino were on a personal level, they did not need to know that.

It would only make her more valuable of an asset.

"I need you three to leave," He said aloud drawing mixed reaction, "I can't have you three watching,"

"We can't do that Ash," Steven said simply, "we can't risk it,"

"encase I turn back to Team Rocket?" Ash said knowingly.

"It's not-"

Ash cut Cynthia off, "I know it is Cynthia, no need to deny this. I'm a loose wire which can't be trusted, but... The little faith you had in me before needs to be shown again,"

The Sinnoh Champion regarded him carefully, there was nothing showing on his face, but he was entirely serious about his request.

"It's not about faith," She said looking to Domino, "It's about what she'll do and say when she see's you,"

_No it's about what _I'll_ do and say when _I _see her._

"I can't go in if you're here," He replied finally, "I'm sorry,"

"And why not?" This was Lance seeming a little frustrated, "there's a reason you're keeping from us Ash, we can all see it. But what?"

_So they figured it out, _he sighed. "Cynthia," his voice soft, "She can watch, I'd like it if you and Steven left Lance,"

"You will allow Cynthia to watch?" Steven this time, "you won't send her out?"

He nodded, "I trust her, and I hope she has the same trust in me," He looked to the blonde, "deal?"

The three looked to each other, and after a non-verbal agreement, Lance started for the door, "Take your time,"

Steven followed him out, and when the door was firmly shut Ash faced Cynthia, "I trust you," He said, "Do you trust me?"

Cynthia sighed and looked at Domino, "Do you trust me enough to tell me why I can't be here?"

He couldn't tell her, it would... It would have to be kept a secret. From everyone, Steven, Lance, the girls.

Everyone.

"If I tell you," He said, "would you allow me to do this alone?"

She turned her attention away from the window and to the serious young man. At 20, he had done more and seen more then most would see in there entire lives. He'd gone to hell, and then been spit back up.

She had to trust him, if she didn't, who would?

"Truth, and I'll leave."

Ash hesitated, unsure of what to say, "Not just outside the door, gone. Briefing room or something, not near here."

"Okay, Lance and Steven along with me yes?" He nodded, "Alright then,"

She was serious, and he could see that plain as day.

He brought his attention to Domino, scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "I-I know Domino,"

Cynthia twirled her fingers in a _go on_ motion, "From the past year,"

"She's..." He trailed off not wanting to say it, scared to.

"An ally?"

He shook his head, "Partner?" no comment and Cynthia was growing hesitant, "A friend?"

Finally he said, closing his eyes, "More then that,"

Cynthia kept a blank look, but he knew she was shocked. He'd be surprised if she didn't go back on her word now, it was in the open.

"A relationship?" and he nodded, "for how long? Was it recent?"

He swallowed, "Keep this to yourself, not Lance, not Steven, _no one." _Cynthia nodded, "I need to hear you say it,"

"I won't tell a soul,"

He looked to her, and met her eye, "A little over six months the day you raided the Facility. We were..." He trailed off, and Cynthia regarded him with sympathy.

"I'm putting my faith in you Ash, don't fall for any lies. You know the truth, even if she was your... Girlfriend or whatever, don't let her manipulate you because of that,"

_Affection is a weakness_

"I know," Cynthia laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezed , and left. Leaving him alone.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Now that he was, he wasn't sure how to proceed. He wanted to do many things, but doing so...

He shut his eyes, let out a calming breath and went for the door.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Domino kept her eyes directly on the wall ahead of her as Ash entered the room. She watched with her peripheral vision as he came over, bent down and undo the hand cuffs that kept her to the table.

When they were off, he tossed them to the side, and said, "We aren't talking here, they'll listen in," And they would. Without looking up at the video camera in the top right of the room, he went over to the door and held it open, "Follow me Dom,"

She didn't move, his words meant nothing until she knew who he was.

He sighed and came back to her, "It's took two days because I hallucinated," His voice was sincere, "the blonde again,"

She remained still, so he carefully placed a hand on her cheek and turned it so she was looking at him.

And then he kissed her, light and soft, lasting maybe two seconds.

But that had given her what she required, he was still her Shayne.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

She was hesitant as she stood, and he resisted the urge to hold out his hand for her, "Only one knows," He said holding the door open, "She won't say a word,"

Domino regarded him with thoughtless eyes, it seemed he'd need to convince her more so to get her speaking.

She came out of the room and saw that the hallway was empty, "I wouldn't speak with you if they watched," He led her to the door and pushed it open, stepping out first then holding it for her, "We'll speak in my room, check for bugs, or wires, or anything. It's clean, and the only place I trust I can speak openly with you,"

She spoke, "When they see me-"

"If they see you, nothing will happen," He started down the hall, "Now stay close, it's this way."

He led her through the halls, stares coming from every single direction, a few passerby's even sprinted away to warn security.

But Ash ignored them all, making sure Domino was at his side as they entered the barracks, "Stay quiet," She did, but the reason would be moot as they rounded the corner to his room and saw both Alyssa and Misty turning away from his door.

Ash never hesitated, he saw Domino's inquisitive glance at the two before directing only her eyes at him. He saw Alyssa straighten and clench her fists to her side at the sight of Domino, and then Misty was in a state of confusion.

They walked directly towards them, he kept his eyes straight ahead, "W-What is she doing, A-Ash!" It was Alyssa, furious, confused, shaken.

But he said nothing as they passed, he caught both blondes eye catching one another, both knowing one truth and one lie of what truly happened.

They stopped at his door, he opened it and allowed Domino to enter first, she did. And before he stepped inside, he looked to the confused girls and shook his head.

And then he closed the door.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"That was them, wasn't it?" Domino asked sitting down on his bed, she took an interest in the surroundings.

He didn't answer, instead choosing to lock the door before going over wrapping his arms around her slim frame and kissed her.

He had missed her.

She kissed back, and he bent her back onto the bed, he broke and whispered, "I've missed you,"

She claimed him once more, running a hand through his hair before breaking and reply, "Me too," She paused, "What have you been doing?"

_Her mission comes first_

He stared into her beautiful violet eyes and kissed her lightly on the mouth, "We're at the Pokemon G-Men Head Quarters," He said.

She leaned up to press her lips to his, but stopped herself, "Why haven't you come back? You were at Ecruteak, alone, you could have come back if they let you go?"

_She want`s to know how much I know_

He got off of her, and went over to his dresser. He pulled open the bottom drawer and removed two large stacks of files, "I don't know my own name," He said glancing over his shoulder.

She was confused, "My name is Shayne right?"

Her mouth curved upwards a little, "What else would it be?"

"What is it though, Shayne what? I don't know it,"

"You don't..." She seemed to be thinking something through, "You don't remember your last name?" She said slowly, "really?"

"I don't have one,"

"Shayne," Her voice was soft, and her eyes inviting, "how did you... You _do _have a last name," She corrected, "Shayne Desmond Newfield, you... You really forgot?"

Now he was confused, the name sounded familiar.

But he couldn't understand why.

"I..." He trailed off confused, he knew this. But... Why couldn't he remember, "I don't..."

She was looking worried, "Shayne, have they... Done anything to you?"

More questions, was he given an antidote or was he drug free.

"No, nothing."

"Have they told you anything," She wasn't waiting around, she wanted to know.

He looked away from her, "They have,"

She stood, came over to him and place a hand gently on his arm, "What have they said?"

She...

She shouldn't care for him like this, she was worried for him, missed him. But what if it was an act? But what if she was serious and the G-Men were an act?

"They said you killed me," Her eyes widened a margin in surprise, (Fake or not he didn't know) "Wiped my memories, kidnapped me, a lot more..."

Domino turned away, lost for words, "They... Shayne you don't believe... You wouldn't,"

"They said my real name was Ash Ketchum,"

"W-Who?" She turned to him eyes filled with confusion, and once again he felt like she was being honest, "I... You don't, believe this... Do you?"

He turned to the files, "I've looked through all of this Dom," He paused, "but everything here, all of this fits. I can't remember anything since after the Devon operation, and this fills in the blank." He turned to look at her, "I was killed Domino, and you kidnapped me,"

His heart ached and he willed himself to put his feelings aside at the stricken look on her face, "You..." She trailed off shaking her head in disbelief, "S-Shayne, you..." As she carried on, he felt his own emotions rising, his own confusion settling in.

"They said, that the counteract-ant to the hallucinations of those girls, was really to keep my past life from resurfacing,"

"Shayne you... You can't belive..." She was at a loss for words, and his uneasiness returned.

_You've been told lies._

_She's told the truth._

Those thoughts came, and then immediately after.

_She told lies._

_The G-Men told the truth._

The two voices fought back and forth, screaming in a feverish pitch in his mind.

"Dom," His voice was weak, but her full attention was on him, "why shouldn't I believe them? Tell me why, show me what you've said is true,"

She looked like she was about to lose it, not in anger but in pure genuine disbelief. She ran a hand through her locks, and looked skyward, "S-Shayne, I... I don't..." She shook her head, "H-How do you want me to prove it?" She plead desperately, "I... I don't have anything with me!"

_Lies_

_Truth_

_Lies_

_Truth _

_LIES!_

_TRUTH!_

The shouting match in his mind was increasing and he fought to keep his attention ahead of him, "Tell me why I can't remember anything before Devon, tell me why I have no recollection what so ever of entering that operation,"

She slumped down onto his bed, and rested her hands on her knees, with her head in her hands, "You..." She trailed off thinking deeply.

This was killing him.

He wanted to stop, say screw the G-Men and let's return to Team Rocket. They could be together again, put this behind them and start again.

But he knew he couldn't, if he did he wouldn't forget, he'd live on everyday wondering if he was someone else. If he was being lied to everyday by the person he loved the most in this wor-

His voice came out low and dry, "Tell me the truth Liz-" Her head snapped up in shock, "please," He was one of the few, the very few who knew her real name. He rarely called her Elizabeth, and if he did they were alone without a chance of anyone hearing them.

Other wise it was Dom or Domino.

"Shayne..." Her voice cracked, and his heart split as he saw her eyes water for the very first time.

She had never cried in front of him.

Never.

"In less then a week," He said doing his best to keep his voice from shaking, "an antidote should be finished to counteract whatever I had been taking. If I take it, if I remember, am I going to hate you? Am I... Am I going to want to..." He didn't finish, the thought to hard to bare.

A tear streaked it's way down her cheek and her mouth fell open, "It's all lies," She whispered, "I love you Shayne, I love you! I have the proof back at Head Quarters of who you are, I swear to you! Come with me and I'll prove to you your name is Shayne! _Please!_"

He'd never seen her beg, she would never beg.

For any reason.

He had his answer.

"Dom," His voice soft, "I can't,"

She cried, he knew that it wasn't fake.

Genuine tears fell from the eyes of the girl he loved.

And because he loved her, he had to let her go. Because once he was given that antidote, he'd be different. He may want her dead, he may still love her. So either way, she couldn't stay.

He opened a drawer, removed a shirt and ripped it in two.

"Stand Liz, please,"

She looked at him, genuine sadness, genuine tears, he wanted to believe differently.

"You're staying?"

"I have to, I won't be used. I know the hallucinations are memories, that they'll keep coming no matter what happens. I want to remember, so I want you to leave Team Rocket,"

She was startled, and the sadness that had been in her voice was replaced with confusion, "What?"

"I apparently want to stop Team Rocket, and if you are a member, that means you as well. I don't want that, so I want you to leave, hide until its gone. And then, and then you'll still be alive, and we can still be together."

"But you said you'd hate me," Her tone shook once more, "You won't comeback for me,"

"I won't lose what I feel now Dom, I love you now and that'll carry through to after I've restored my memory,"

"You can't believe that,"

"I do," He went over to her, bent and placed a kiss on her mouth. At the same time he tied the ripped shirt around her eyes in a blindfold.

He broke the kiss, "I want you to take this chance Domino, I'm taking you away from here and letting you go. Don't return to Team Rocket, I don't want to fight against you."

With that his interrogation ended, he stood her up and walked her out the door.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He kept their pace fast, moving just below a jog towards the garage. He had to put distance between Domino and the G-Men base before he let her go as to not alert TR as to where it was located should she return.

His limp seemed to be forgotten with his mission ahead. Down in the garage, he sat her in the sidecar, started up his motorcycle and took off.

Before they left though, he bound her hands in front of her where he could see them, and than had made sure the makeshift blindfold would hold.

And then they left.

The motorcycle roared into the surrounding forest and through the main gate of the HQ. The bike shot down the long dirt road, eastwards towards Pewter City.

They didn't speak the entire ride, with nothing to be said between them.

Ash knew the truth, and Domino must have realized her hopes had forfeited that he'd return to Team Rocket.

He hoped she'd take his offer and leave, he didn't want to fight her. He wanted a chance, after all of this had ended to... To work things out with her, to let her know that he _did_ and would still care for her.

He believed that once he was given the antidote, his feelings would remain constant. They would not change. He had read somewhere that love has no bounds, that it could over come all obstacles.

So should he, by chance, end up hating Domino. He hoped the saying was true.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The drive took a little over an hour, and the moon was at the mid point in it's cycle. Ash drove up alongside the crossroads which led to Pewter and towards Mt. Moon and shut the bike off in the center of the road.

"We're here," He said climbing off of the bike, and going around to the side car, "I'll let you go from here, you have to unbind yourself however,"

She was silent as he helped her out, "You could reach Viridian within half a day by foot, withdraw some money and off Team Rockets radar a few hours later," He looked to the blond, blindfolded girl and felt his heart tug once more, "take the offer Domino, please,"

She kept silent, standing rooted in place. Against the moonlight, her hair shone, and skin radiated beauty.

He wanted to see her eyes the most, the ones he had fallen for months ago.

But he kept himself from removing the blindfold, and resat his bike, "Dom?" He asked placing his thumb on the ignition, no answer so he continued, "tell Giovanni I'm coming for him,"

He hit the ignition, and the bike roared before drowning into a low hum, "Goodbye Liz, I'll see you again soon," Looking away from her still form, he eased back on the throttle, drove around her and back down the road he had come.

He didn't turn around, for if he did he would have gone back for her. Three hundred meters from Domino he heard a sharp _Crack!_ And veered the bike sharply off the road and down an incline.

Where she had hidden the gun, he didn't know, but she had missed.

He rode down the incline, over rocky terrain and then onto a paved road. He picked up speed, clocking in at over 150MPH, and was away from Domino before she stood at the top of the hill.

Had he turned back, he would have seen her silhouette against a backdrop of the full moon, stars shining all around.

Had he turned around, he would have said he had never seen anyone more beautiful then her.

* * *

**I bet most of you excepted a different outcome? Well, ya know. **

**Short Chapter, Ash'll deal with the repercussions of his actions next chapter let me tell you that (I think), and really only question is what do you guys think? Please drop in a review on what you all thought, and the question ****I posted last chapter** **still stands. I've already been mulling over idea's and things you had said from it, and I'm working on it.**

**And as a quick little thing, the reason Misty is so non-existent in this story is because I wrote myself into a corner long before I even knew it. This is way back in the third Chapter of Arise From Ashes when I created Alyssa, someone I had no idea I would make such an important character in my stories. (What an amateur!)**

**I'm looking for ways to bring Misty in, I have one, but if I can I'd like to avoid that one idea because it changes the plot quite drastically.**

**But we shall see.**

**So please review, and thank you all for reading! Until nex time.**

**This is ThatOneDwarf Signing Off!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Seventeen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Lieutenant!" Anderson glanced right to his assistant, "Ketchum is returning to HQ,"

His eyes darkened, and his hand came up to his head, removed his navy cap and stared at the blinking red dot on the map which slowly inched closer and closer to the Head Quarters location, "I want him arrested," Anderson growled, "subdued and brought into holding,"

"Sir-"

"Arm a squadron and flank him, stun rounds. No needed casualties, he's a loose wire that can't be trusted,"

"But Sir, the Champions orders-"

"The Champions have no authority in this question, this man is a killer and has set free a high-priority target which is a breach in national security. I want him subdue and brought into custody, no questions asked." He rounded to his assistant, "Understood?"

Clutching his clipboard above his heart with a single hand, the assistant snapped off a tight, unsure salute, "Understood!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash returned to the HQ in a haze, something he wasn't that proud of. There would be hell to pay, and he realized that. But when they learned that Domino had come for him, and was not some Rocket informant, it would be cleared up.

His actions from the night of Goldenrod were still being discussed internally however, and a punishment -should he receive one- would be issued at a later date in the form of some low issue mission which an idiot could preform.

His thoughts however, were still preoccupied with the blond he had dropped off at the crossroads to Pewter and Pallet, who he doubted would still be there, but on her way else where.

To Team Rocket, or like he hoped, into hiding.

He parked the bike in the garage, and checked the sidecar. On the right of the seat, away from his line of sight was a spare holster he had attached around two weeks back where he kept a spare M9.

It was now missing from said holster.

His emotions were getting the better of him, he was making mistakes left and right. Mistakes that he should have _never_ committed.

He needed to get his act together.

And soon.

With his mind preoccupied, and his steps on autopilot, he didn't take notice of the seemingly empty hallways of the HQ, nor the armed and fully armored men and woman who trailed him some distance back.

It was to late to do anything when he heard the first whip like crack, with his head in the clouds his reaction timing was off and the electricity infused ballistic took him hard between where his shoulder blades and neck came together.

His arms were immobile, and soon his legs were as more stun rounds peppered his back and behind the knees.

His entire body felt like blocks of lead were strapped to it. He couldn't turn his head as it lolled back and for as he was carried down the halls, guns still trained on him.

He was carried to the exact same room Domino had been in less then four hours before, and strapped down (Using the cuffs which he had left previously on the ground) until he was immobile and secured.

They left him then, and it amazed him at how everything seemed to come back to him in this position. Tied or strapped to something, for reasons which were beyond him.

Three hours went by, and Ash glared at the door when it slammed back on it's hinges and Cynthia entered, face bright red, and eyes colder then ice.

"Ash I'm sorry!" She said directly, she was about as angry as he was it seemed, "Anderson went a head and-"

"Anderson?" He asked lowly, a new heat rising in his voice, "Anderson ordered this?"

"Yes, some excuse-"

"Where is he then?"

"Wha-"

"You know Cynthia," Ash said lowly, "bring him here, it's about time me and him settled things between us. If he's going to be a little bitch and sent you in here so I can't hurt him, then let me go and I'll find him myself. Or bring him here, lock the door behind us, and we'll settle this like men,"

"Ash, you'll kill him,"

He laughed, it was devoid of laughter and was fulled with mockery, "If I wanted him dead Cynthia, he'd already be. And as you can see, I'm tied down, immobile so it's impossible for me to lay a finger on him. In fact," He glanced to his right, where the one way window was, "Bring _everyone_ down, it's about time I cleared things up with you, Lance, the girls, and whoever the hell else I've dealt with for the past how ever long I've been here. So go on, fetch Anderson for me, and bring the others down to watch."

His mouth shut, and his eyes told her to do as he said. No questions asked, no hesitations allowed.

"Ash-"

"Go."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash waited with a cool air around him, body entirely relaxed, and looking as if he was leisurely waiting for an appointment.

When the door to the holding room opened, and the form of an angry Lieutenant stepped in, his eyes drifted over casually.

Ash had a sarcastic grin cross his face, "Well Terry," He said, "have at it, tell me just why the fuck you thought it was a splendid idea to assault me?"

Anderson spoke as if it was obvious, "You betrayed the G-Men, released a high priority capture, and broke her out of custody,"

He stopped there and Ash tacked on, "And I killed your men,"

Andersons eyes darkened, "You killed innocent people, destroyed public property, threatened civilians. You're nothing but a monster,"

"How many were there?" Ash asked as if Anderson hadn't spoken, "how many of your pathetic, unqualified soldiers did I kill?"

Outside of the holding cell, the Champions, girls, and his mother watched with extreme uncomfortableness.

"You killed seven of my men you son of a bitch," Said despite the fact his mother was less then two meters away, "You'll rot in hell once this is all over. I could give less of a damn about what happens to you out in the field. You're a wasted life, a dog trained by whoever wants you, and if they tell you to bark you bark,"

"A dog?" Ash looked to his lap where his hands sat, "A dog... Really," He muttered.

"Have you... Ever taken a life Terry?" He asked in a soft, eerie melodic croon which sent shivers down all those watching spine, "Have you ever put a bullet in someones skull, or a knife between their ribs?"

Anderson went to speak, but Ash cut him off, "Have you ever even been out into the field?" It looked like Ash was going to wait for an answer, but after a brief hesitation he started up again, "You haven't, and I know you haven't because you've got the look of a man who's nothing but a cowered. A man who sends others to do the dirty work because he's to much a damn rat to go out and do things for himself."

"How can you command an army if you've never pulled a trigger? If you've never felt the heat of another persons blood on your skin, the deafening sounds of bullets coming at you. The fucking screams of people dying,"

"Your a slave who can't think for himself-"

"Am I?" Ash asked amused, although no humor was present in his voice, "That's why I set Domino free is that right? Because I once belonged to her, did you know that? That she was my fucking partner over the last year? You and your shitty intelligence agency missed out on that little piece of advice. Did you know, that each and every one of you were fooled into thinking she was an informant? She came for me, not for any other reason,"

His voice had been steadily rising, anger and frustration slowly dripping into every syllable, "Now let me tell you one god damn thing," His head snapped right to look at the wall, on the other side everyone flinched at the cold fury radiating from his eyes.

"I. Am not, Ash Ketchum. For all I give a damn, Ketchum can go rot in a fucking hole." He looked back to Anderson, who was looking at him with the worst attempted glare he had ever seen, "Same goes for each and everyone in this fucking building. I have one priority. And that is finding Giovanni,"

He took a deep breath, "So things are going to change around here,"

"You don't make ord-" Ash rose from his seat, cuffs clattering to the ground and stared at Anderson with a look that made his balls clench to stop him from wetting himself.

"Things are going to change around here," He continued on, his voice crystal clear, and eyes burning, "I've been used, _again_ by all of you. You call to me when you want something done, like some tool you can use over and over again, when you all fuck up,"

"You keep me out of the loop, you don't give me any god damn information on Team Rocket, or whatever the hell Giovanni is doing. And I've had it," He walked over to the wall, eyes staring into the one-way glass and to all of the others who held their breath, "From now on, I want every piece of information you get on Team Rocket. If they send a shipment from one place to another, I want that information. I want to know what Giovanni had for breakfast, if he stubbed his fucking toe! I want to know everything!"

He took a deep breath, "Because, as of right now I have been nothing but used. I can return to Team Rocket at anytime, and right now that is looking like a fucking spectacular idea seeing as how I'm treated as, as you put it Anderson. A god damn fucking mutt!"

His eyes slowly went across the wall, he was no longer speaking to Anderson, but to those on the other side. And they knew that clearly as well, "Do you understand?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It seems to him that they did.

When he left the cell, no one was around. Immediately he had returned to his room and begun disassembling the furniture and begun redecorating. He tossed the dresser, bed frame and bedside table into the hallway, and placed his mattress in the corner of the room.

He then left for the storage and located two rectangular tables, a rolling high back chair, and brought those to his room, setting them up against the wall before hunting down internet cables, wires, extension cords, and finally multiple computers.

He was undisturbed the entire time as he set up a workstation which consisted of six monitors, three towers, and a large set of color coordinated cords.

He had been lenient with he way things had been working around the G-Men HQ, how he was being treated and all.

But he realized, until the real Ash Ketchum showed up, he would never be trusted. No matter what Cynthia told him about how she trusted him, it would never be completely true.

So if he was going to get anywhere with them, he had to take charge.

He may have blown a fuse back there, but it had to be done. No more unimportant BS assignments, no sending him out where ever they felt like, if he was going to do anything, he would have the final say in it.

And if they didn't agree?

Well he'd finish this on his own.

As Ash, or Shayne, it mattered not.

When his station was set, he opened a secure network, and stared at the screen.

His fingers hovered above the keyboard, waiting for him to enter a command.

"FUCK!" He shouted it out, the single clear cut and crisp word echoing through his door and down the hall.

He didn't know how to properly hack. He knew basics, but to break into a database and purge through security files was... He could do it on low priority stuff, but where he would be searching...

He got up from his seat, and left his room.

He had someone in mind, whether they wanted to or not, who would help him.

* * *

**It was a shorty, lotta swearing I know. But there shouldn't be that much in another chapter again.  
**

**That thing I said about eight or whatever chapters left? Should probably disregard that, I've always been terrible at estimation. And seeing as how these chapters have been all different lengths recently, I'd say it would be best to not assume any number. More then four, less the twenty.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, please review, and I'll see you all next time!  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**Eighteen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Then, about... Say two days later, Jessie, James, and Meowth showed up again-"

Ash glanced away from the computer screen before him with narrowed eyes, "I'm getting a feeling that this happens a couple more times?"

The now brunette dead panned, "They followed you through Hoenn, and Sinnoh after Johto. From what I heard from May-"

"May?"

"Old traveling buddy," He grunted in acknowledgment and turned back to the screen in front of him, "It was the same thing, except they had new Pokemon,"

"Great..." He paused thoughtfully, "Get them on the line, I want a list of whatever they can remember,"

Misty blinked in surprise, "H-Huh?"

He spun around in his chair and raised an eyebrow, "We discussed this," He said plainly, "no questions,"

"But, should they _know_ that you're alive?"

Both turned their attention to Alyssa as she cleared her throat, "They... They already know, more or less anyways,"

Their attention was fully on the blond, "The two you fell in front of Ash, at the contest hall... It was them, May and Dawn,"

He blinked, "Perfect, so they already know." He spun and continued on with his searching, "So Mist," He said, "I need a list by..." He looked to the ceiling, "Six tomorrow evening,"

"So soon?"

"I don't have a lot of time,"

And that ended that topic.

He had called upon both girls for his search following his discussion more or less with Anderson.

His requests had been granted, he'd been given information that had been previously been kept from him, kept in the loop, and kept away from people who looked at him like a murderer.

The girls hadn't spoken a word about what he had said back in the holding cell, and for that he was glad. He had few people he could trust, and right now the only ones he could, were the girls, Sue, and his mother.

He still didn't entirely belive that one.

He had Alyssa hack the Rocket database and sending him just about whatever the hell she could pull out of it, while he had Misty recount any stories from their past to jog his memory.

Apparently multiple stories of these Jessie James and Meowth characters all melded into one big grouping, as his only remembrance of them seemed to be what their appearance was, and the occasional capturing device they acquired.

How those three idiots actually worked for Team Rocket was honestly beyond him.

Why would Giovanni hire those three?

Off topic.

"Aly," He said without looking away from the screen, "drop the stuff on shipments, and start searching for..." HE trailed off, leaning closer to the screen to read the microscopic print, "1997,"

"97?" She asked confused, he half turned and raised an eyebrow "97 it is,"

He figured he was being rude, but overall he didn't have time for them to second guess his request.

Should Domino return to Team Rocket, she'd inform Giovanni of what was taking place.

He would then have to double his efforts to locate the bastard before Domino came for him.

Again.

"Then there was the first time you entered Indigo League," Misty carried on, "the three in some giant robot tried to steal the flame of Moltres,"

Really? For what reason would they need... He shook his head, scanning the files in front of him.

He scrolled down, reading the names and dates created when someone knocked twice on the door, "Yes?"

"Ash?" He spun in his chair at the voice, it was Cynthia, "I'd like to speak with you if at all possible?"

He looked between the girls who both looked at him, and shrugged standing up. He opened the door, and stepped out into the hall, "Find out something?" He asked curiously.

Apparently not, the smile on her lips had something else in mind.

"Good news," She said. Did he catch... _Giddiness _in her tone?

"Which is?"

A smile, bright as the sun spread on her lips, "What do you think about getting your memories back?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash asked the girls to leave his room, telling them he'd be going on a quick assignment, before following Cynthia down to the underground levels of the HQ.

According to the blond, his antidote had been finally concocted. Although it did take longer then the promised one month period.

He digressed.

Cynthia led him into a medical room, with a bed in the center, and a bunch of medical machines set around him.

"So here's where it all goes down huh?" He asked removing his shirt and sitting down onto the bed, "how long until the drug takes affect?"

The door to the room opened and a doctor and three nurses came in, the doctor answered, "A few hours for it to work into your bloodstream, from there on it's up to you. It could take a couple hours, days, or possibly weeks. But we managed to rebuild the serum you were given from the blood sample you gave us, and built a counteract-ant for it. So if this goes according to plan, you should be your old self in no time,"

Ash scoffed, "More or less anyways," He looked around the room, "I need you to strap me down for this," He said casually, "Arms and legs once I'm out cold."

The doctor and Cynthia regarded him hesitantly and he continued on, "I don't know what'll happen once I wake up. I could be hostile, confused, or plain ol' Ash Ketchum. But one thing I know is, if I don't know what the hells going on having me strapped down will be the safest thing for everyone."

Cynthia looked to the doctor, "Is that alright, or will it affect the transfer of the drug?"

"It'll be fine once it spreads evenly through his body, so twenty minutes after injection I suppose,"

"5," Ash rebutted, "I'll get my blood flowing once it's in, make it beat faster,"

"I can't recommend-"

"Cynthia does he know about our little situation?" He asked meaning the previous day.

The Sinnoh Champion grimaced, "He's fine to go about it," She said tiredly, "let's get started then shall we?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

As the liquid was injected into both of his arms, he looked at Cynthia, "Don't say a word to anyone about this,"

Her head tilted in confusion, "Don't you want them to-"

He was shaking his head before she finished, "If it doesn't work, I'd rather them not lose hope. I know I was someone else Cynthia, but if I don't regain those memories I'll be Shayne. It's not something I can change, I see myself as Shayne, not Ash Ketchum. They can't know that,"

He dropped to the ground and started a rapid series of push-ups, despite his ribcage screaming at him to stop. It had only been a few days since he broke them after all.

When his heart was beating faster, and the drug making it's course through his veins, he got onto the bed and laid down, allowing the nurses to hook him up to the machines.

"Lance, and Steven know," She said, "the three of us were notified immediately once it was finished."

"The others cant then, a secret until this is over. Tell them I went on some sort of recon mission or something for a possible location of Giovanni if they ask. No one, finds out."

Cynthia placed a hand on his shoulder, and he felt the warmth and softness of her skin, "I promise Ash, we'll be taking shifts to watch you while you're out. So close your eyes, and clear your mind."

He did as she said and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out across his lips.

A few seconds later the monitor connected to his head frenzied, the brain activity skyrocketing to unsafe heights before dropping down so that it was just barely readable.

Cynthia stood next to Ash as he fell into a coma.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Shayne emerged from the darkness, onto a path of white leading forwards into the shadows.

_I can finally say, that I have gone entirely insane._

The though depressed him, but it was true. One minute, he's getting hopped up on drugs from Cynthia. The next, well... Standing in nothing but shadows, with a bridge of white light leading into nothing...

God, had they given him, acid?

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he sighed and started forward down the only path. _Best not wallow back here when I obviously have to follow the path._

He sighed again.

He was insane.

His footsteps made no sound on the light below him, and surprisingly he was okay with the silence. For the longest time now, it was truly just himself alone, no noise, no people.

No body requesting anything of him.

That was definitely the best thing about this, he was alone.

Looking around the shadows, he said aloud, "Never been on drugs- Well none that mess with my mind this- that put me in a place I don't know-" He paused thinking hard, "That sent me to space,"

He walked down the path, nothing but him, the bridge, and the silence.

He couldn't have been walking for more then five minutes before he came to a branch in the path, turning ninety degrees left for about five meters before stopping outside of a door. His eyebrows dropped together, and his hand went for the M9 at his hip.

When his fingers brushed over thin air, his shoulders sagged and he groaned.

It wasn't there.

Checking his person for a weapon, he let out one of many sighs and started down the path empty handed. _Looks like I'm going in with fists only..._

Shayne walked towards the single door, black with a golden shining knob, and two words engraved on the front.

_Final Days_

Counting to three, he twisted and pushed open the door.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Daddy Daddy!" Shaynes head cocked to the side as he saw a small child, aged 4 he guessed, run down a flight of steps away from a building that read, Pallet Daycare, before leaping into a mans open arms.

The man, tall, dark haired, tanned, wearing a blazer and khakis picked the boy up and spun him around.

The child giggling.

"Hey there Mister Master," The man grinned at who could only be his son, "Were you good today for Mrs. Bitz?"

The child nodded enthusiastically, "Uh-huh, Gary and I-"

_Well hey there Ashy _

_Ma gramps won't give _you _a Pokemon_

_I'm gonna be the best Ash! You are to much of a loser!_

Shayne blinked as the voice, young like the childs filled his head, fairly narcissist and arrogant. Shaking the voice away, he watched as the father laughed at something he had missed, "Is that so Ash? Are you gonna tell mommy that, or should we keep that a secret between ourselves?"

"Can't tell mommy, she'll go crazy!"

The man laughed again and began walking towards the gates of the daycare, placing the child onto his shoulders, "We'll keep it a secret then okay?"

Before Shayne could hear the reply, the door slammed shut as if a gale force wind had struck. He stared at the engraving, _Final Days,_and tried to remember.

_The final days of what?_ Daycare? That was the most plausible answer, and if he was correct.

Which he knew he was.

There were going to be more doors like these, Ashs- His, _their_ memories. It was his job to look through them, see his-Ash's, their past.

Unless he was mistaken and had driven himself to the point of insanity.

Always a likely answer.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_The Start_

Further down the path, past seven or eight doors, was _The Start._

Pushing open the door, he was greeted with the sight of a bedroom, TV on displaying a Pokemon battle, and he-Ash, completely engrossed as a Gengar dodged a Nidorino.

He watched and listened as his mother entered the room and told him to go to bed, before she allowed him to stay up a tad later _if_ he watched a lecture about the three Kanto starter Pokemon by Professor Oak.

This door stayed for longer then the previous few, showing him drifting to sleep before awaking and sprinting out of the house, still in pajamas towards Oaks Ranch atop the hill.

Here he watched as Gary, his oldest rival received his first Pokemon, before receiving his own in a shocking display.

_Now I understand the high tolerance to electricity. _He thought simply as the door swung shut with a thud.

He turned and started back down the path, that door had obviously meant _the start_ of his journey.

Understandable.

He stopped himself at the next door, _Friendships Beginning,_ and hesitated. He briefly remembered from when he, Pikachu and Misty had spoken how he and Pi had originally met.

_The flock of Spearow, stealing Misty's bike, the waterfall..._ Pushing open the door, he wasn't surprised to see himself hurling a rock at a Spearow, which then began attack Pikachu.

If each of these doors, lasting from two minutes, to an hour at a time showcased major events from his life, or the ones he had cared to remember anyways. He would have to look through at least ten years of his life.

And right now he didn't have ten years to spend in this place.

This was his mind wasn't it?

If every minute he spent _here_, would that constitute a minute back in the real world? Or was it double? _Triple_ even!?

He wouldn't have time for this, not each door. Heck _any_ of the doors. He had to get back...

Oh shit.

_How do I get back?_

Shayne shut his eyes, and visualized a door, a door which simply read _The End. _What would be at the end, he didn't know. Would it show up? He wasn't sure.

His eyes opened, and no door.

"Dammit," He looked around the shadows, nothing but the path of white going North and South, with branches off East and West every so often, "Why can't there be a hall of doors," He muttered, "And at the end, the final, the one that makes me leave here with _everything._.."

_'Come and find the end, skip the home-videos and we can palaver.'_

Shaynes hand went for his handgun, but once again, nothing but air.

"Who are you?" _It was him, _and he knew it. His own voice, same tone, same eerily calm that he had used on many occasions in the past, "And what is a palaver?"

He responded amused,_ 'Let us speak, you know who I am, and I you. Once you and I meet, all your questions will be answered.'_

_Insane... _Yeah, he had gone insane.

He walked on though, skipping each door, or _home-video _as his other had called it, and along the path of white.

Just because he walked past each door, didn't stop him from reading the engravings, such as:

_First of Many_

_The Older Brother_

_The Sketchist_

_The Waterflower_

_Chosen One_

He stopped at that particular door out of plain curiosity. The older brother, Sketchist, and Waterflower, had all been past friends apparently. But the chosen one?

When he had pushed open the door, he had watched in stunned silence as he saw himself flying atop the legendary Lugia, Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos alongside them. Hundreds of Pokemon on the sea and formed Ice layers.

A flying machine, him falling into the depths of the ocean, a girl,Misty, the Sketchist...

Man he was insane...

Once that finished, he continued until his feet quit working at what he saw ahead of him.

Coming from seemingly out of nowhere, doors appeared. Aisles upon aisles of doors. All black, with a golden knob, and an engraving.

_There has got to be thousands..._ The shear amount, just... It truly took his breath away.

All of those memories, of what? He did not know, but he would.

_Soon_

His footsteps made sound now, quiet padding sounds as he walked through the long aisles reading engravings when he had the chance.

One door stopped him though, and he was tempted to open it.

_Love_

Would it show Dom...? Or someone else?

This was another persons memories, it would not have been Domino. Would it? If it was, then there was hope, _even though highly unlikely,_ that they may still make it through all this...

After a little more thought, he chose not to enter, deciding to leave it for whatever happens once's he was back in the real world.

After what seemed like a day of walking, _surprisingly he did not in the least feel the slightest bit tired,_ he came to the end of the aisles, and to the final door.

A golden arch, single hardwood door with a copper knob.

Engraved?

_The End_

When his hand gripped the doorknob, it was warm, oddly so...

It felt alive.

Turning the knob, he pushed opened the door and stepped into the room.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"About time you showed up," Shayne watched as the darkness dispersed, and instead was replaced with the outdoors. A pure blue sky, and a beautiful green plain that stretched into the horizon in all directions.

Walking towards him, was a member of Team Rocket.

Dressed in the black sweatshirt and pants, light gray boots, gloves, and black cap. Black hair jutted out from beneath, and he could see the brown eyes as well.

"I've been stuck back here while you," Ash waved at him offhandedly, "Did what ya did,"

Shayne stared at his other, and asked the question that he needed before all else, "Are we the same person? I'm you? My real name is Ash Ketchum?"

Ash looked him square in the eye, "Yes, Shayne was just a name we used when we went through Orre and Indigo. You'll remember soon enough though."

"When I go back, what happens to you?"

Ash looked up into the sky, and scratched the side of his face, "Well, I really don't think much is going to happen. There are three options that I've been able to come up with,"

"And those are?"

"You and I will blend into one new personality, with both memories shared between us, the most-likely of the three,"

"Second?"

"Well I have memories stored for the past 19 years, right?" Shayne nodded, "You got everything after that. So my theory is that I'll take the reins again, but will have your memories to fill in the gap of where ever the hell I wake up,"

Shaynes face contorted uneasily, "And what... Happens to me?"

Ash paused, "My guess is, is that what ever memories you possess is you. And since I have those, you'll still be there, just a memory. In other words, you die, and I live with the consequences of anything you've done,"

Shayne was blinking rapidly, "I die?"

"Or the third, and actually most likely to happen. We go insane, 2 voices in one mind. Bickering, fighting, thinking the other doesn't exist until we drive each other over the edge and place a barrel in our mouth and blow our skulls to hell..."

"So there is no way that I survive is there?"

Ash shook his head, "Unfortunately no, but truthfully, that is a good thing,"

"How so?"

Ash remained silent and sat down on the ground before laying out straight, "I personally hope for the first option, that my personality remains unaltered and I just have whatever memories you had for the past year. My reasons?" He fell silent, a contemplative look overtaking his face as Shayne sat down next to him.

"I've gone through far to much, much more then you realize. I've lied, hurt, fought, done everything within my power to survive. Even when I wanted to commit suicide, I stopped. Everything I've worked towards has been taken away from me, I just want to end this. End Team Rocket,"

"I do to-"

"No, you were kidnapped by Team Rocket, lied to. But you thought that you were truly apart of them. I'm guessing it wasn't until recently that you've started thinking that they should be shut down?" A nod, "And because of that, you will never know if what has happened to me had truly happened to you or if it was all just a dream."

Shayne sighed and brushed his hand across the lush green grass, "I have a lot of questions, but it seems as if they won't matter if I die."

"It's not guaranteed,"

"No, but either way. You or I, or both of us need to get back there. I don't know how long we've been knocked out for,"

Ash groaned standing up, despite not feeling any stiffness, "Stand up then, and let's hope for the best."

Shayne did, and Ash came over to him and placed a hand on his forehead, "Close your eyes," He did, as did Ash.

A light wind picked up around them, before picking up into a full blown hurricane. The two standing in the middle of the plains remained unaffected, neither being moved.

Thunder cracked, struck the ground and opened a rift which crumbled inwards and began running towards them.

They heard a siren.

A crowd.

Voices.

Explosions

Gunshots.

Felt warmth.

Cold.

Pain.

Happiness.

Sadness.

And then nothing.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He awoke with a jolt, his eyes snapping open as he went to sit himself up in a frenzy.

When his arms tugged against resistance, his eyes fell to the handcuffs that kept him secured to the bed.

"O-Oh God," He muttered, _What happened? Where is he?_

His eyes opened in horror, _Who, was he?_

"HELP! HELP!" He screamed wrenching his right hand against the cuff to pull it loose, "HELP ME!"

His terrified eyes landed on the door as the handle rattled before turning to open, revealing a blond woman.

"Ash!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Who are you! Wha-What am I doing here!?"

Her body went rigid and she came next to him, "What do you mean who am I?"

He cringed, "I-I don't know what's happening, I-I who, where am-"

The woman grabbed him by the shoulders and stared directly into his eyes, "It's me Ash, _Cynthia, _Cynthia Ash it's me, your name is Ash! Do you remember? Do your remember me Ash!?" Her voice was rising in pitch as it became more frantic.

"I-I-I Don't kno-" The frenzy ceased, and Cynthia let go of his shoulders as his mouth fell shut, and his eyes went distant, "Oh... Oh God," He muttered, he looked at Cynthia, "Cynthia?"

"Yes Ash, do you know who I am?"

His head nodded just visibly, "Where am I?"

"You are at the G-Men headquarters Ash, you came here after we got you out of the Team Rocket facility where they wiped your memory! Do-You-Remember?"

He did.

Gravity seemed to increase as his entire body felt heavy, as knowledge and memories shot through his mind in a rapid fire. His eyes stared at the ceiling unmoving, as if in a trance until he muttered, "Undo the handcuffs Cynthia,"

"Are you sur-

"Undo the cuffs Cynthia!"

"Why-"

"Now please!"

When she saw the desperate look in his eyes, she did.

And when she did, he bolted off of the bed, tripping over his own feet as he ran straight through the door and down the hall.

_Shit! _She thought running out the door after him, she saw him push through a door and followed him in. Her eyebrows drew together as she saw him shove open a bathroom stall, before grimacing at the sound of him losing his lunch.

"Yeah," She heard his voice come from the stall, followed by a groan, "I remember this," And then he threw up once more into the toilet.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Around forty five minutes later, Ash and Cynthia sat on a bench in the hallway. Following fifteen minutes of throwing up, Ash had brushed his teeth multiple times, and then showered intensely once he was notified that he'd been in a comatose state for four days straight.

"So what do you remember?" She asked finally after a few moments of silenced pasted between them, "Are you Ash? Or, or are you the Ash we rescued from that facility?"

When he spoke, he did so slowly, as if unsure of the answer himself, "I'm... I'm me Cynthia, Ash Ash. Not _Shayne _Ash..."

"Are you sure?" He nodded, and when he did. He was startled when the Sinnoh Champion took him into a hug, "Thank God," She muttered, before releasing him with a grin of relief, "We are glad your back, we need you more then ever now to finish what you started."

His head turned away from her slightly, "And I'll be ready, just not right away... Things are still, weird... Everything feels like a dream right now,"

Her grin didn't leave her face, "Take your time, but in about two days all of us are going to need to meet up to discuss our next move,"

He nodded in understanding, "Great, I'm going to tell Steven and Lance, and I'll leave you to do what you need. Eat is probably number one on the agenda I'm guessing?"

He didn't answer right away, "What time is it?"

She checked her watch, "8:45,"

"Are the girls still up do you know?"

Cynthia's grin enlarged, "I think both of them were turning in early today, they spent time down in the pool for a couple hours so they are both probably tired,"

Ash stood up and stretched, "I'm going to see if either of them are still awake, I take it you still haven't told them that I was down here the past 4 days?"

"Affirmative,"

Now Ash grinned, "Thanks Cynthia, I'll see you and the others around tomorrow,"

"Goodnight Ash, rest easy,"

* * *

**The sequence with Shayne had been sitting on my desktop for some time now. I had a few ways of going about it, and I liked the looking through the door idea best.**

**So Ash has his memories back, but don't expect things to be all happy go lucky, I've got curve-balls galore lined up, and I have to say this is going to be my final authors note for this story for my own reasons.  
**

**So basically, no more of the blurb things at the end of chapters.**

**So I want to say thank you all so much for reading, and please drop in a review and let me know what you all thought! It was an important chapter in moving forward, so let me know!  
**

**I'll see you all next time!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Nineteen**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash did not go and see either of the girls despite what he said to Cynthia.

In almost a feverish run, he returned to his room, locked the door shut and started writing in a thick notebook.

With his back against the door, his eyes focused squarely on what he was writing, he forced himself to remember.

He remembered.

_Everything._

He wanted to punch something, he wanted to run, he wanted nothing more then to be alone for the next few days.

He wrote feverishly, starting with the day he was abducted at the Sinnoh League, all of the way to the mid point of the first year in the first notebook. When it was filled to the very end, details pouring in every little corner, he grabbed another and started again.

He wrote without blinking, his fingers on automatic as he went through pencil after pencil, page after page.

He wrote the smallest details, like how he remembered a specific dish tasting, to the intense burning of the knife in his back.

He wrote, because if he didn't.

He'd kill himself.

The veins in his arms stuck out, his arms taught like a bow string. His jaw was clenched shut, and his grip on the pencil was all but snapping it in two.

He hated himself.

He remembered.

He wanted to kill himself.

He lied.

He cheated.

He loved.

He remembered.

Another note book filled and he tossed it to the side, taking a fourth and hesitating before starting.

He was nearing the point of his return to Pallet. He could see it clear as day in his minds eye, he could hear the thoughts that took place in his mind when he saw her, what lengths he was willing to go to to protect the most important people in the world to him.

He threw the book across the room as if he'd been scalded, looking at his hand with large nervous eyes.

He'd done things.

He'd done things that he...

He shook his head, and ripped his shirt off, throwing it into a clump on his bed.

He should be dead. He _wanted_ to be dead.

That`s why he entered Indigo. He knew what the outcome would have been, or at least he thought he did.

What had truly happened; his breathing became coarse, heavy with emotion as he drew his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms tight around them.

He remembered all to clearly what had happened when he had awoken at the Rocket Facility one year ago...

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

_His vision was splotchy, a thick white blur as he heard the chittering of machines around him, the small talk of men and woman around him._

_"Blood levels increasing,"_

_"Body temperature reaching approximate temperature,"_

_"Brain activity reaching stability,"_

_He groaned, and moved his fingers slowly before flexing them both for feeling. When they both clenched into fists, he started blinking rapidly to clear his vision. Slowly the blurs began to take shape in the form of people, and then the machines he was hooked up to became visible._

_His head rose, he was tilted on an 110 degree angle, he moved his arms and saw they were bound to the board he lay on._

Not again, no no- _"NO!" His voice screamed through the room, and all personal snapped towards him, "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES!"_

_He screamed, pulling against the binds which held him securely to the table. His heartbeat amplified, throbbing all over his body as he heard the moan of steel bending._

_He felt like the veins in his arms were about to burst, the adrenaline pumping furiously through him like hot lava._

_Medical personal in the room started to swarm towards him, shouting to get him under-control._

_His scream continued, and with what appeared to be superhuman strength, he tore off the right restraint of the board (Ripping a chunk off with it), and shot out towards the nearest doctor._

_Ashs hand grabbed her collar, and he heaved her over his body, and sent her sailing over herself across the medical room into a pile of carts which housed an assortment of tools. She landed with a crash, sending instruments scattering across the room._

_She was now unconscious._

_"GET HIM SEDATED!"_

_Ashs furious glare shot to his right, where he noticed for the first time the large glass observation window. And behind it, Giovanni holding a microphone to his mouth, and Domino standing at his side._

_A doctor came, needle in hand towards the side which hand wasn't free, but was grabbed as Ash twisted over, grabbed him with his free hand, and repeated the action from before._

_Although this time the doctor was thrown hard into the window, "LET ME GO YOU SOME OF A BITCH!" Ash shouted, before screaming as he pulled against the remaining brace._

_"I"LL KILL YOU!"_

_Another nurse came his way, and he attempted to fend her off as multiple doctors begun advancing on him._

_And unfortunately, one hand was far from enough to defend against eight attackers when you were immobile._

_A needle was driven deep into his neck, and he cried out at the sharp pain. He growled, fought against the numbness which began spreading across his body, "I'll kill you Giovanni, I don't have any god dam idea what you're doing... But I swear I'll kill you,"_

_The Team Rocket Boss seemed unaffected by his words, "I'm afraid I can't allow that to happen Ash," He said in a tone reminiscent of the one he had used when he planned for something big, "it'll be hard for you to do that when your still working in the field,"_

_His body felt as if his bones had disappeared completely as he lay with his head lolled to the side, and his body slumped the other, "I'll kill myself before I work for you again," He growled, it seemed his jaw and tongue still functioned properly, "Nothing in this world would bring me to rejoin Team Rocket. Nothing,"_

_Giovanni grinned, the grin which told him otherwise, "We'll see about that in a few hours son," if eyes could kill, Giovanni would be up in flames long ago, "you won't remember this conversation, or the last 18 years of your life soon enough anyways,"_

_"What!?" He spat, "what do you plan on doing? Wiping my memory?"_

_"Precisely,"_

_Ash growled, "You're fucking insane Gio," He said lowly, "You, that blond bitch beside you," He saw Domino stiffen and he smirked, "no matter what happens, I won't forget. I won't forget you, Domino, _anything_. Because, I don't want to forget how much I want to place my knife into your fucking heart. I want to watch you bleed Gio, I'm going to fucking _end _you and Team Rocket."_

_Giovanni scowled, "You don't have to forget for long boy," He growled in a chilling voice, which had no affect what-so-ever on Ash, "just long enough for you to give me what I need?"_

_"And that is?" He said sarcastically, desperately trying to regain feeling of his fingers._

_"What it is doesn't concern you-"_

_"Apparently it does if you need me to find it you idiot!"_

_Giovanni looked to the nurses, eyes burning with anger, "WILL YOU SHUT HIM UP!" He shouted angrily into the microphone._

_Ash grinned a delirious grin, "Whatever it is Gio, you and Domino can go fuck yourselves cause I'll rot before I hand over whatever the hell you're looking for,"_

_"It's not the question of when you hand it over brat," He snarled, "it's a question of when it will reveal itself to you,"_

What? What would- _From the corner of his eye, he saw a nurse had injected him with another needle, after a few seconds passed his mind became hazy._

_While he still had the chance, he shouted in a drunken voice, "It's not over Gio! Not yet! Not until the fat lady sings, and I plan on... On... Makin you gud dmn holla!"_

_His ears started ringing, and the last voice he heard clearly chilled his heart, "I look forward to working with you Ketchum," It was Domino, "It's been a long time in coming just so you know,"_

_And then, only a few seconds later, he was unconscious. A couple minutes after that? his memory was wiped, a few hours?_

_He had become Shayne._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Ash tore out the sheet he had been writing on, tossed it into the corner of the room and started again. He had to sort out everything that had happened, every little detail.

It had to be precise.

Changes had been made to his personality, Shayne had taken over and... And done things that he, Ash, would never have done...

Or at least thought he wouldn't have.

But had the occasion arised... And the need necessary...

He flipped the page, and continued on as he wrote up to the events a few weeks after he visited Misty in Cerulean before Indigo.

He remembered their relationship, he remembered it like the back of his god damn hand. But times had changed, reasons had changed.

He glanced away from the note book, and to the stack across from him.

He couldn`t... He couldn`t ask for it to start back up, it would... It would turn the tables, make things worse then it already was.

He shoved the thought from his mind and got back to work, his fingers cramping as the led snapped on his twenty third pencil. He`d think over his actions regarding the two-

His head snapped back up and his hand clenched, the pencil snapped into two and fell away.

_Make that three..._ He thought, eyes filled with conflicting emotions.

He shoved that thought aside as well, he didn't have time for that. Giovanni was planning, working, wanting to get him back.

It couldn`t happen, he was safe for the mean time.

But when the HQ became compromised, he was going solo. No Pokemon save for Espeon, he, and his bike.

No one, and nothing-

He glanced up for the hundredth time and tore free an untouched piece of paper, and scribbled down a few notes.

He set it beside him, tore free another, and scribbled down a few more before starting back up on the note books.

He'd get those items later.

For now though, he finished the last year of his life.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He didn't sleep that night, and he sat against the door the entire time. When the note books had been completed he read each of them.

Four times over.

He had to make sure he remembered and understood everything that had taken place. His reasonings for doing what he did, why he went from one place to another, why he requested certain tasks from people.

With bags under his eyes, he looked to lone turned on monitor and looked at the time. It was 6 PM. He'd been doing this for almost 24 hour-

He jumped, the notebook in his laps soaring into the air and flat onto the ground as someone rapped on the door.

He didn't speak, but when he heard the voice a small breath of relief escaped him, "Ash?" It was Cynthia again, "are you in there?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Cynthia..." His voice was tired and he kept the yawn from coming out, "What is it?"

When she spoke she sounded surprised at how close to the door he sounded, "Are... Are you alright in there, you haven't spoken to the girls yet,"

He didn't reply right away, but scooted so he was alongside the door frame, and with one hand reached up and unlocked the door. Before turning the knob and awkwardly pulling it open.

He heard the gasp before he actually saw her, "A-Ash," The Sinnoh Champion whispered, seeing the torn out and crumpled paper scattered across the room, the piles of notebooks spread out along the floor, "you're not alright,"

Ash looked to his mess, regarded it, and said, "I can't... I can't face them yet, I'm not ready. I have to... Understand everything first,"

She saw the dark rings beneath his eyes and closed the door to the room, "You haven't slept," She said slowly, before looking to a red notebook and picking it up.

She thumbed open cover and frowned as she saw the wall of text on the first page. She turned to the next, and saw the exact same thing.

"October 8th," She read aloud, "Rockets bi-passed route 204, entered rundown building. Six dead, three wounded, 307 released Pokemon back into the wild..." She turned the page, "October 17th, Ruins of Alph, Rocket excavation team, 12 dead, 1 wounded, 32 Pokemon turned loose, and entrance implausible..."

She looked to him gray eyes shining with worry as he stared at the computer set up across from him, "Is this a journal Ash?"

"Of everything that's happened, _everything."_

She skimmed through the rest, finding more detailed logs through out, where it showed his thoughts on the situation, his findings, and damn near anything that he could put into words to the scene he had witnessed.

It was like a twisted sort of novel of journal entries and short stories, "Are all of these," She didn't finish as he nodded.

"I did things Cynthia,"He said softly, "I can look fine, I can put on a mask... But, as Shayne I wouldn't have batted an eye at any of the thing's I've done... But, what I did as Ash, _and_ Shayne... I, I can't overlook that,"

She flipped through the book, seeing the hundreds, if not thousands of words written on the lined pages. She said carefully, but entirely serious, "Would you like me to hire someone Ash?"

He looked away from the monitors and to her not understanding what she meant, "A psychiatrist, or somebody you could speak to about... All of this?"

"No," He said it in the same soft tone he used before, "it won't help Cynthia, trust me. And no offense, but I'm not big on bitching about my problems to strangers so," He tried to smile, but it was of little effort.

"Ash," Her tone sympathetic, "This isn't something you should keep bottled up, honestly. If not to a physiatrist, then a friend or family member at the most,"

He was shaking his head, "To them, mum, Misty, Alyssa... Lance, and Steven, I have to appear strong, unaffected. I have to greet them with a smile on my face whether I want to or not,"

"Ash,"

"Only Alyssa has seen me at..." He cleared his throat, "at my ends, where I just want to let everything go and... And..." He shook his head, "I can't show them that I feel unstable, I know for a fact they'd keep me from doing any Rocket business so I could relax even just for a day through all of this. And if they tried, I'd leave Cynthia, on my own. I can locate Giovanni by myself, it will take time, but at least I'd be doing _something._"

He paused and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm obsessed with it, as soon as my memories came back," He snapped his fingers, "Snap, Giovanni is all that I can think about. That's why I wrote these out, for the slivers of details that I may have missed before. For the one detail that would send me directly to him,"

"You can't do this on your own Ash, it's not humanly possible,"

Here he cracked a grin, little humor behind it, but it was progress none the less, "Have you seen me Cynthia?" He asked with a dry chuckle, "I've said this before, _I_ should be dead. I've done things no human should have ever done. I've died a few times, had life threatening injuries and situations, and yet I come out unscathed save for a new scar here or there,"

"You say it..." Cynthia trailed off hesitantly, "so easily Ash, _just_ a new scar,_just_ a few life threatening situations... I know you've gone thorugh a lot, but shouldn't there be I don't know... Hope that once this is all over you can do something with your life? You risk yourself so hard, your limiting the chances of having a normal life once Team Rocket is disbanded,"

The eyes that met her own were emotionless, and in a calm almost eerily monotone Ash said, "I had my chance of a normal life taken from me at the end of the Sinnoh League Cynthia, after that, normal is out of the question. My hands are stained and there's no removing them without drastic actions. What happens when this is all over isn't on my mind, for now, until it actually comes true, is finding and killing Giovanni."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A few hours later, he stacked the notebooks and put them alongside his bed for further reading later on.

After his and Cynthia's discussion, he had decided it would be best -he had to ask for a few favors afterall- to go let the others know. He knew what he had to do in some cases, regarding the girls, whether he went a head and did it...

Well that was a different story all together.

So his first stop was the cafeteria, as he had not eaten since the day he'd taken the drug.

He ate carefully, and slowly taking in the HQ building like he'd never been there before. It was a sort of deja-vu as he walked around, like he was seeing the building through another persons eyes.

So he sat.

And he ate.

And when he was full, he returned the tray he had taken and started to walk aimlessly around the building.

He had no idea who he should begin with, Misty, his mother, Alyssa, maybe Pikachu?

He knew one thing though, no matter who it was he would not shed a single tear. He had nothing to cry about after all.

What would he say? _Sup guys I'm back, the good ol' Ash Ketchum you all know and love? The one obsessed with Giovanni, the one who want's to kill himself?_

Yeah, that would go over smoothly.

So he walked around, hoping more or less to run into someone he knew. When he didn't he sighed and headed back towards the rooms.

"Looks like Mist is first up," He mumbled under his breath. Her room was first, then down the hall and around the corner would be Alyssa, his mother was on the next bend, his was down at the bottom of T section, and Sues would be just passed his mothers.

Man, there were quite a few people here.

"Things just keep on getting more and more complicated,"

He ended up, a minute or two later outside of Mistys room. He stood there in his jeans and plain black T with his eyebrows knotted together as he thought of how to start this.

His mind was drawing a blank, so he raised his fist and knocked.

He heard her first, as she stood from what sounded like her bed before coming over to the door.

And with the mask set on his face, he let the grin slip on his face as she appeared in the door frame, dressed in her bright red pajamas, "A-Ash?" She asked, head tilting to the side in confusion, "I thought you were..." She trailed off seeing the grin on his face, "W-What?"

"Come on Mist," His voice was light, and her eyes flashed with recognition, "I think you know,"

And she did, she sprang forward feeling the pressure behind her eyes as soon as her arms flung around him, "Ash!" She exclaimed in disbelief, her voice cracking, "I-It's you!" She felt his arms wrap around her and pull her close.

The tears trailed like comets down her cheeks, "When... You, a mission and... And..." She trailed off finding words difficult to come by as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"It's me Mist," He muttered rubbing small circles on her back, and slowly beginning to rock her back and forth.

She recognized the action immediately, and squeezed him tighter, "You were dead," She whispered into his chest, shutting her eyes to try and fend off the tears which cascaded from her eyes, "You died again, b-but you came back. You left us, you-you-you,"

He brought her over to her bed and sat her down, before doing the same and allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as she sorted out her words, "Do you remember?"

His hand continued the circles, and he felt her muscles relaxing steadily, "I remember Mist," His voice soft, silky... Alluring, "ask me anything, and I can answer,"

"Who was your first capture?" It came out in a whisper, and her cerulean eyes looked up into his brown.

"Caterpie, in Viridian. Then Pidgeotto a day later, Caterpie evolved and I battled against the Samurai kid Metapod veruses Metapod,"

A small laugh escaped her mouth, "You were an idiot,"

"Were?"

"Is," She corrected, a smile of her own working onto her lips, "Tell me something only you would know, not... Not-"

"Shayne?" And she nodded against him, "well, you and I duked it out for Totodile," He said looking skyward, "then the one I guess your looking for-" Her head raised, and her eyes widened in surprise as he finished, "was that you were my first girlfriend," He paused, "I think, more or less. Details are sketch,"

"S-So..." She looked at him unsure of what to say, his eyes and face were unreadable, _nothing new there,_ "You remember?"

"Told ya, I'm back,"

She continued staring at him, eyes searching, "A-And what about... What about us?"

His eyebrow rose and he let out a long sigh, "Well to be frank Mist," He said casually, "relationships are the least of my worries at the moment,"

"Huh?" She blinked and her mouth fell open as if she hadn't heard right.

"Well, think about it. I'm on the run, I'm traveling across the world daily, I'm hunting Giovanni, and trying to stop world domination. I don't got time for a girlfriend,"

_Affection is a weakness._

"B-but..." She trailed off unsure of what to say. Because realistically, it was true. He _didn't_ have time to deal with the everyday doings of boyfriend/girlfriend.

As he said, he's trying to stop the world from being taken over.

"I mean _afterwards_," he drawled, "Who knows, hell as is, I may not even get an afterwards-"

"Don't say that Ash," His eyebrow rose at the tinge of anger he heard, "everything that's happened isn't your fault-"

"Well that's debatable really," He said scratching his chin, "cause honestly Mist, the things I've done-"

"It doesn't matter," She said cutting him off, "you're going to get through this, then you're going to start training again, and than become a Pokemon Master, got it Ketchum!?"

Well he didn't believe that one bit, but he'd play along, "Got it Mist," He laughed, "do ya know if Alyssa is still up, I gotta go let her and mum know I'm... Well me again,"

"She finished in the gym about ten minutes ago, so she may be showering,"

He nodded thoughtfully, "Got it," He said standing up, "I'm sleeping in late tomorrow, and I'm guessing dinner is when I'll be up, so tomorrow night should we grab dinner?"

Her eyes lit up at the prospect, "I'd love to!"

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow Mist, G'night," He gave her a smile and left the room, but before the door shut entirely he poked his head back in and said, "If you haven't called up Dawn and May yet, you can forget about it. I remember it all," With that and a grin he left the room and started down the hall.

Leaving a grinning brunette sitting on her bed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He already had an idea for Alyssa as he stopped outside her door. He leaned against the doorframe, knocked twice and waited.

He heard her shuffling something, before coming over and pulling open the door, "Hel-Ash?" She asked drawing back in surprise.

He saw it in her posture before he said a single word, the grin alone enough to let her know things were back to normal.

"Nice pj's," He teased.

Her mouth gaped open, and her eyes shone with unshed tears, "A-Ash?" She whispered reaching out to poke his chest.

"Aly," his tone softened considerably, and she took in a deep breath.

He expected her to come in for a hug, not assault him like she did.

"YOU JERK!" She shouted diving at him.

He fell back in surprise as she dove atop him, knees pinning him to the ground as she started punching him in the chest, "YOU! YOU IDIOT!"

"A-Aly! OW!" Al-"

"You stupid stupid, thinking of killing yourself, and you and your- stupid stupid idiot!" She hammered away, and Ash frantically blocked what he could.

"Alyssa!"

She stopped briefly, "You... You..."

"Idiot?" He guessed, a small smile playing on his lips.

It didn't help the situation, "Telling me they're going to kill you! Going on your own stupid will! Do you know what that's like!? Having the biggest idiot on the damn planet as your best friend!?"

She punched him again in the chest, but this time with less strength, "Do you know what it's like to know that you'd never talk to you're best friend again? After everything seemed alright? A-After you got shot, and then awoke in the hospital. T-Then," She sniffed and brought the back of her hand across her eyes.

"I... I hate you, you know that right?"

"Aly," His voice carried to her and now the first tear fell.

"I... I never want you to do that again Ash," A tear fell onto his cheek, "it hurt so much,"

He brought his arms up, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.

And then she cried.

He held her tightly, like he did back at the Academy when things got to rough for either of them. He did the small circles on her back like she liked, and talked softly to her, telling her it was alright.

That he promised to never do it again.

When she began to calm, he lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. They were red, as well as her tear stained cheeks, "Ya know I hate seeing you cry Aly," He whispered reaching up and wiping away the few tears still on her cheeks.

She sniffed, "I hate you for being an idiot," She rebutted, "a lot,"

He smiled, "Course you do," She sat up, before climbing off him, "I'll be honest,

I expected different,"

A small smile had begun to form in the corner of her lips as they sat out in the hall, "What?" She asked rubbing her palms against her eyes, "lookin for me to throw my arms around you and jump for joy?"

He shrugged, "Would be nice,"

A small laugh escaped her, "Jerk,"

"Blondie," Her smile widened, and he stood up, offering his hands out to her which she took gratefully.

"There was no mission, was there?"

He shook his head, "Nope, been in a coma for four days,"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she entered her room, him following behind her, "It's been five and a half days since I've seen you," She said, "What have you been doing for the other day?"

He didn't look at her, and she had a moment of fear grab her, "A-Ash, what have you been-"

"I've been thinking things through Aly, that's it. Getting things sorted out," That was as close to the truth as she was going to get, "I promise,"

"S-So you... You really remember then, that Shayne stuff is over?"

He nodded, "Gone,"

"For good?"

"For good," he confirmed.

Only now did her arms wrap around him, "I've got questions," She whispered into his chest, "a lot of them,"

"I'll answer them tomorrow," He said softly, "most of them anyways,"

"You were really Dominos... Partner?" She looked at him, with eyes that hoped he made it up on the spot.

He let out air through his nose, "Yes, she retrained me. I became her partner, although the uh, hallucinations and voices kept me out of the field. So we never did assignments together," _But we did plenty of other stuff._

He felt her relax in his arms, "Good," She muttered, "is that why you let her go? You and her... Became friends, right?"

Ash was silent for a few moments until a small laugh escaped him, "Forgot how quick you were on some things Alyssa,"

"What happens to her?" She continued, "are you going after her?"

"No," This was eating at her, and he knew why. Domino had been the bane of his existence almost as long as Giovanni. Cause the boss never got his hands dirty when it came to torture, or beatings.

Except on that one occasion.

So Dom had come along on occasion, fairly rare occasions, but I digress.

"I gave her the option to run, leave Team Rocket. But if she returns, she's going down like the rest,"

She rested her head on his bicep and closed her eyes, "I want..." She trailed off and his eyebrow rose, "I want back in,"

"No," The word came without hesitation, "Absolutely not,"

"I can hel-"

"You can help by feeding me information, I won't bring you out into the field Alyssa. It's different then it was then,"

"It's not-"

"Giovanni won't be out in the open," Ash cut off, "you're barret will be of no use,"

"Then I'll be your six,"

He was shaking his head, "Aly, I'm not putting you in danger,"

"Then I'll sign with the G-Men," She said stubbornly, "get them to train me,"

Aly," His tone lowered and told her to be careful.

"Or you could get me back into shape, and know of my abilities,"

He ran his hands through his hair, "You..." Now he was actually at a loss for words, "why?"

"Because I know you Ash," She said simply, "if you're going to die, then I'm gonna be there right alongside you when you do,"

The blue eyes he knew all to well told him that she was serious, that she would do whatever it takes to follow him out into the field.

Whether he wanted it or not, he knew that his partner was back in the game.

* * *

**Thank's everybody for reading, please feel free to drop in a review and I'll see you all next time!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Nothing changed however, not for a while anyways.

It took a little more coaxing, but Alyssa had managed to get Ash right back on board with her becoming his partner once more.

But no training had taken place since they last spoke about it, four days ago, but instead were held up in his room at his computer station.

Beside her, Ash skimmed through reports here and there mouthing what he read on screen like he used to. While behind her Misty sorted documents and files into individual piles by date, alphabetical order, and size.

Overall the last few days had been trouble free.

She shifted her gaze to the man -he was twenty after all and no longer a boy- beside her as he sat back in his chair and looked skywards, "I can't figure it out," He muttered running a hand through his hair.

"What?" the now single brunette according to Misty asked tilting her head to the side.

Ash spun in his chair so that he faced the two of them and she saw the familiar frustration in his posture. It was minor, his right hand running up and down the length of his left arm, but she knew he had something on his mind.

"Shadow," He said slowly, "Giovanni, Team Rocket, League takeover, world domination," a pause, "What do all of these have in common besides me?"

What did it have in common? "Giovanni plans to use Shadow Pokemon for a hostile takeover of the Pokemon League," Alyssa said carefully drawing out her words, "he wanted you to become the Pokemon Master so that you could lead the Rockets to the top."

Ash knew all of this, and she and Misty both knew this, "We're missing a piece of the puzzle," He said letting out a sigh, "but I have no damn clue as to where to start looking,"

And neither did they, Team Rockets history was long and ugly. They didn't have time to start looking from the roots of the organizations timeline.

"Is there anything you don't know from the last few years?" Misty asked setting three files into a stack of a couple dozen.

Alyssa saw his eyes shift to the large stack of notebooks alongside his bed and her curiosity piqued but kept her face clear, "I remember everything from the day I was captured in Sinnoh, to the day of Indigo... I remember more or less when my mind was wiped and reset up until now..."

"Is there anything that I'd be missing? Anything you can think of that I would have missed out on during my capture?" He looked to the two of them with a raised eyebrow, and an intrigued gleam in his eyes, "Something from your point of view?"

Alyssa saw Mistys small start and had no doubt that Ash had spotted it as well, but he said nothing. "From how long ago?" Misty asked, "We weren't involved until we found Cynthia, Steven, and Lance at your grave,"

Ash nodded in understanding, lips pursed, "Mmm, how about during-" His eyes snapped wide awake, "Wait what!? My _grave_!?"He asked sitting up right.

Alyssa's eyebrows came together at his reaction, hadn't he been told this at some point? "Cynthia, Lance and Steven were digging up your- or that things remains and Pikachu led us to-"

"Woah woah woah!" Ash held a hand up and stopped her, "Thing?"

She and Misty shared a grimace, "Some clone or something with your DNA, it was deformed and was impossible to... To... What?"

Ash had a look come across his face, one she wasn't sure to mark it as. He mouthed a word, lips barely moving until he said slowly, "Shadow," paused, thinking it over, "Team Rocket accomplishes world domination by taking control of the Pokemon Leagues with Shadow Pokemon,"

And then he said, "_Cloned_ Shadow Pokemon."

_It will reveal itself to you_

It was true he had some sort of connection with legendary's, with all of the connections he had made with them in the past.

But there was one legendary that connected multiple dots.

"Giovanni wants me to find Mewtwo,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

God it all, or most of it made sense now that he looked at it. What did Giovanni want more then him, and do anything to get his hands on it, but Mewtwo? Which meant Giovanni must have some recollection of the events of Mt. Quena and their first meeting; after Mewtwo wiped all of the Rockets memory.

But how would he remember? That was something he couldn't answer.

Yet.

That would possibly be the reason he had been taken by Team Rocket in the first place, it made sense after all. The kid who foiled your plans and took what was within your reach away from you.

That was a solid reason, but... There had to be more then just that, there had to be.

Kidnapping and training the kid who set Giovanni's prize free is a little extreme. There was another reason despite his interactions with Mewtwo that Giovanni-

Ash blinked once-more, another thought entering his mind as he turned in his chair to face the monitor.

Maybe there had been a Devon Corp mission after all. He wasn't involved, but what if it had- "Alyssa," She startled as he used a commanding voice, "Whatever you're looking up drop it, look up as much as you can about Devon Corps, a little over a year ago and see what the hell Team Rocket stole,"

"A-Aye!" She turned in her chair and started working.

He then without looking back to the brunette behind him said, "Misty toss everything that isn't related to Shadow Pokemon, shipping details, and..." He paused skimming over for the right location in his mind, "Farwinds, the mountains. Everything else trash it,"

"G-Gotcha!"

Beside him, he caught Alyssa's inquisitive look at the grin that came on to his lips. The grin was going to be stuck on his face for some time as he wanted to do much more then just that.

He wanted to run around screaming his head off, telling everybody he could that they were getting closer.

That Giovanni was going to be in for a-

"Uh-" He turned to Alyssa who was typing rapidly, numbers and letters scrolling across her monitor in rapid fire, "I-I umm Ash," Her voice strained as she worked.

He rolled over and looked at her screen, "Someones, fuck off- Someones fighting back-" She grumbled beneath her breath as two pages opened without her consent, "Theeey don't want me- They don't want me in here,"

"Can you beat them?" He asked seeing her eyes narrow as she entered command after command, her fingers a blur over the keyboard.

"Mmm..." She bit her lip, "May-" The monitor flashed white, and then went dark, "Wha- no no no no!"

The three of them stared at the dark screen, waiting for something to happen. "Is it dead?"

Ash glanced to the blond at Misty's words, "is it?"

Her head came down on the keyboard and she groaned loudly, "They spiked me," She growled irritably, "whatever was in there was- Oh?" her head rose to look at the screen as it blinked back to life, a message on the screen.

"Are you curious Shayne?" Ash muttered reading the bold text on the screen, "have this instead,"

Fuck.

Fuck fucking fuckity fuck.

He tilted his head to the side and Alyssa rolled back to allow him to take her spot, "Come on Dom," He said under his breath typing into the lone editable text box on the screen, "What are you playing at..."

He typed in a message and became aware that Alyssa was tinkering with his computer, he sent it and waited.

A window appeared in response on the screen, which simply said **Download**, and he hesitated.

"Aly?" He asked and she glanced from his monitor where she was hooking it up to hers and saw the button, "click?"

She was working anxiously, "I don't like it... Give me a second send em a message to keep em on the network,"

He did, sending one word.

**Why?**

The one which came back wasn't informative in the least, "Keep out of trouble,"

He grunted and went to respond, but when he typed his keyboard no longer responded. Turning to Alyssa, he saw her eyebrows knotted together as she typed into his computer, which now controlled her own, "I've separated our network, no G-Men data bases can be accessed,"

And then his eyes grew wide as he saw the message Alyssa sent to Domino, "Oh Aly," he muttered, running a hand through his hair, "bad idea..."

**I'll see you in hell bitch**

Alyssa harrumphed and said, "Wanted to say that to her for a long time," She muttered, "when I kill that bitch, I'll do it gladly,"

Ash said nothing, feeling a bit of unease enter his gut. There were three, and Domino was one of them.

What responded wasn't even a word, but chilled Ash, goosebumps rippling across his arms and raising the hairs on the back of his neck.

**:)**

He saw in his minds eye Domino sitting at a computer, that small playful smile on her lips that made her look adorable to him. Like they were playing some sort of game and she knew that she had him on the ropes...

What the hell did she send them?

The text box vanished from their screens and all that was left was the words _'Curious Shayne? Have this instead.' _and the '_Download' _button_._

Alyssa went to click the download but he placed a hand on her arm and stopped her, "I don't like this," He said seriously, he didn't know what Domino would send, but... God dammit why did she return?

"She obviously want's us to see it, or for you to anyways. And we won't know why until we open it,"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Calm down," and her face reddened, "I know you don't like her but,"

"Hate her," She grumbled.

"I second that," Misty piped in from over his shoulder.

He sighed, "whatever, but... Look you don't know her like I do," Their eyes narrowed on him and he ignored them, "she has a reason for sending this, it'll fuck with us, I know that for sure. She want's me to see whatever it is,"

"So what are you going to do?"

He looked skyward, "Open it, I don't... God I don't know what it's going to be, but I want you to get the system back up and running and get those files,"

She clicked the button and the green download bar came up and the three watched as it made it's way up to 100%.

When it finished, a single folder remained on the screen titled, Shayne, "Open it," He muttered waiting for the worst.

She did, and the folder expanded into multiple documents, "No... No definite file names... They're all just a bunch of random words for titles- what's..." Alyssa paused and came to the last item in the folder, "Is there a reason why she would include a photo-album?"

"Huh?" He came right up next to her, shoulder pressed to hers as he stared at the album labeled '_Cat and Dog'_.

He wanted to open it, but... Then again why would Domino send him pictures? Why send him a bunch of randomly named files? Why risk communicating with him.

"I don't know what's going to be on them," He said, "might be gruesome, don't look if you want to," He then looked at Alyssa and tilted his head to the screen, "Open it,"

Her blue eyes regarded him with hesitance until she double-clicked the album and it enlarged on the screen.

It was him, nothing crazy or spectacular.

Just him, holding Espeon -or at that time Eevee in his arms with a smile on his face- "What are you doing Liz?" He muttered seeing the girls look at him in confusion, "A few months after my mind was wiped," he answered offhandedly.

Alyssa went to the next photo, and it was another of him. Standing behind Eevee as she took off down the battlefield.

"Training,"

The next photo was different, "What is this?" Misty asked seeing what looked to be a camera feed of an empty hallway.

It was a video clip instead of a picture it turned out as Ash saw himself walk around a corner, Espeon at his heel. He moved into a nook in the wall out of sight and seconds later Domino appeared turning the corner after him where she was then pulled into the nook he had gone into.

"Fuck," the crisp word came out before he had the thought to pull the plug, and the wide-eyed open mouths of the girls turned to him in some sort of twisted horror.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

He kicked them out of his room after that and went through the rest of the photos and files alone, shutting out their questions no matter how much they pressed him about it.

Domino played well, he'd give her that.

It was a damn lucky thing that he kicked out the girls while he had, or else they would have seen things no one but him and Domino should be allowed to see.

How she took pictures of certain things without his knowledge baffled him, and weird-ed him out completely. On her own will, for future blackmail such as this, or just for... Her, where she then decided to use the photos of herself in... Inappropriate clothing to create unrest between him and the other two girls.

Brilliant idea, he commended her.

But it was a dirty trick, by the gods it was.

So after skimming through their photos and video clips, there were many, Ash searched through the files that had been sent along with them.

She gave him the '_proof_' he had asked for on the day he released her with false information on the break in at Devon, and his back story, which me may add was quite convincing.

But she was a few days to late.

There were some odd files here and there, about search progress for him. They had begun to narrow down on the areas surrounding Fennel Valley.

But he'd later think that Domino was trying to get him to hi-tail it out of the HQ because they already had his location and would just pick him up as he put distance between himself and the building.

And then there was a single file which he read through multiple times before he cast it aside.

Although the seed had been planted in the back of his mind.

A file which told him there was another double-o who was keeping tabs on him, someone with the name

Melissa Cloud.

A full back story and all on how the blond-blue eyed Melissa had been drafted to the Ecruteak Academy by Giovanni to keep tabs on him.

And of course, this Melissa had gone under a false identity.

Removing the first four letters of her name and replacing it with Aly which came to Alyssa Cloud.

He didn't believe it.

He _couldn't_ believe it.

Although Domino or whoever had written up the files had changed very little of what he already knew, which made it far more convincing that Alyssa was playing an undercover roll for Team Rocket.

He wouldn't believe, although the seed had been planted and would sit there until Giovanni was dead and fifty feet under, but despite what he wanted, he'd be careful.

He'd look into this matter after there next operation ended, he knew after all which target he wanted to go after next.

Something which would set Giovanni back a few years in his progress of conquering the remaining Pokemon Leagues.

He was going to destroy the Shadow Pokemon Development Center, the multi-billion dollar facility Giovanni was funding with the income from the Pokemon Leagues.

* * *

**Thanks everyone for reading, please drop in a review and I'll see you all next time around!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Twenty One**

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Things became a little hectic after they received Domino's... Files.

Ash had placed some distance between her and Alyssa, no doubt to put them at odds about what they had seen on the video she had sent.

When she had seen Ash... Him and Domino... It just wasn't right, it didn't make any sense! How would those two get into that sort of relationship? She understood now though his reasoning for telling Alyssa not to pull the trigger at the banquet, and why he released her.

They had been involved with each other, on a deeper level then any of them had suspected.

He knew and said nothing, showed no signs of emotion like he had done when he showed up at the house in Pallet Town oh so long ago.

Were those feelings still there? Were his for her still alive? Did he have any for Alyssa?

God the questions ate at her, and she hated it. She knew there was far more important things to worry about then her love life at the moment, but god damn she couldn't get her mind off of it.

She helped how she could, by sorting files and running tasks. She could ask Ash to teach her how to do what he did, but she knew that no matter what she did, he'd refuse and more likely state it would be impossible to build her from the ground up in less then a week.

And there was the thing about killing.

She couldn't do that, the thought of even holding a gun, pointing at someone and then pulling the trigger.

It made her feel uneasy, her stomach doing rolls and rising into her throat.

It was so strange, how Ash could... Could take someones life without batting an eye, or the resolve Alyssa had to kill Domino.

To hear the threat 'I'll kill you,' used seriously and then seeing it played out in truth.

It frightened her.

But in some sort of twisted way, it fascinated her. Comparing this Ash to the one she remembered before he left for Sinnoh, you wouldn't even consider them to be the same person except for his appearance.

He'd gone to hell and then spit back up.

She knew this, but not all of it.

She wanted to know what had happened that changed him into what he was today. She knew his drive at the beginning had been to get revenge on the Rockets who picked on him at the Academy.

But even so Ash and revenge? The words had never been able to be used in the same sentence of until he came back into their world.

He'd been suicidal, something which she could never imagine. She saw him grinning like an idiot at the award ceremony where he looked like the happiest person on the planet, to just months later, weeks even for all she knew, where he wanted nothing more but to end his life.

Everything that had happened to him was awful, how he survived for so long was a miracle. But all in all, it fascinated her.

What drive does he have to keep going at that moment? Why not just run away and start a new life?

He could if he wanted to, he has no reason to stay with the G-Men except their resources for hunting down Giovanni.

The Team Rocket boss who was a psychopath, who had no remorse when kidnapping and torturing Ash to the brink of his heart stopping.

Misty shook her head, waves of brown swishing with the motion, "Pay attention Mist," She muttered to herself as she walked alone towards the command center.

She had been given a task, one not by Ash, but Alyssa herself.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Misty!" The Cerulean Gym Leader glanced over her shoulder to Alyssa, clad only in a white towel around her chest, and hair dripping down her shoulders, "I need your help,"

"With what?" she asked sticking her toothbrush into her mouth.

Alyssa wrung out her hair with both hands, "I need you to keep Ash busy for as long as you can today,"

"Huh?" Was the only response that seemed adequate at the time, as the toothbrush was working its way along her back molars.

"I want to check something, it's in his room, I don't want him knowing or coming back while I'm in there,"

Her eyes regarded the short blond curiously, "What is it you wanna check-" She cut off to spit into the sink in front of her and ran the toothbrush under the tap water, "are you going to look at the... The _stuff_?"

She emphasized _stuff _to get her point across, as there was only one thing she could possibly mean.

Alyssa shook her head, her blue eyes bright and lively, "No, I saw something in his room though that... Well I'd like some answers that he isn't going to give me, so I have to do it myself,"

"You're going to go through his stuff?"

"He's hiding things, I know what he's thinking at times, but others he goes off on tangents as if its the most natural thing in the world. I've asked things... Not regarding Domino, and he keeps it to himself, I need to know what he's thinking,"

Misty regarded her with hesitance, "And if he finds out?" She drew out carefully, "you've seen what hes done when he gets upset-"

"He won't do a thing," Alyssa muttered, "He might yell, but that's it. He wouldn't... He'd never get violent,"

"Are you sure?" She pressed, "he's not the same as he used to-"

"Will you help or not?" Alyssa cut off, a bit of ice entering her voice, "I just need you to keep him busy for a couple of hours once he's finished his work for the day,"

Misty flinched surprised, she had witnessed Alyssa's anger only once before, and that being at the lodge at the Indigo League. Rivaled and surpassed her own, although she had become less of a fire cracker as she matured, and was not to be taken lightly.

"Alright Alyssa," She muttered shutting off the tap, the water coming to a halt, "I'll see what I can do,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

She was damn curious about what the blond was planning to look for, and would ask at a later time when the chance arose.

Alyssa had after all told her and Delia about things that she thought were best to keep to herself unless it involved them in some way. Like what had taken place on the roof at Indigo Stadium.

They couldn't hold it against her, as it wasn't her fault in the first place. She asked for Ash to find another way, but he refused on the belief that he could get his knife out faster then Domino could pull the trigger.

Even though now they realized if Domino had gone down, Ash would have as well do to the other shooters in the crowd.

So if what Alyssa found was important, she'd alert them.

She knew she would.

Misty came to the door of the command center, brushed her bangs away from her eyes, and pushed open the door.

There were only a few people inside, all of whom were gathered around a large monitor that showed a live feed from looked like an ariel view.

"We'll want to drop the gear there," Ashs voice carried from the front of the members and they responded quietly, her unable to make out the words.

"Can you get an actual view of the installation? I have an idea of what to expect, but with the conditions of the mountains I'd like to be sure."

Misty moved up silently behind the group, eyes on the monitor which showed a snow coated mountain side and rocky terrain. It looked as if whatever was taking the video rose over a peak of some kind before showing a monstrosity of a building.

Her mouth gaped open, and her eyes took in the snow coated, slate colored construction. It was a diamond shape, at least twice the size of Indigo Stadium, that had thick pillars jutting from the ground which seemed to keep it balanced in the horrid terrain of the mountain side.

"Take note of those supports," Ash said from upfront, "C-4 won't be strong enough unless we bring multiple bags per support. So we'll need thermite to burn through those,"

"Thermite?"

Ash grunted, "I'll need squads A through D to take out those supports on my signal,"

"What do you plan on doing,"

She saw Ash now, scratch the back of his head before saying, "I'll be eliminating all hostiles, setting loose the Pokemon which all of you will need to be careful of,"

"What about the ones that have been tested on?" Another asked from his left.

Ash didn't answer immediately, his eyes focused on the monitor which was showing the perimeter of the installation, "I'll most likely put down the ones that are incapable of being treated, you've all seen what those things will do. And if I set them loose they'll go for you, or should they make it to a city, civies will be killed,"

"Are we going to be sending squads into the building?"

"No," Ash glanced right, "the Lieutenant and I have already discussed this, I'll be taking on the facility with just my partner. She'll be tasked with breaking the systems and recovering whatever information she can, I'll be taking out the equipment they used to turn the Pokemon into Shadows, and liberating those in the cages,"

So he was going to bring Alyssa with him after all.

"When the supports are gone, what do you plan on doing?"

Ash looked left this time to someone out of her view, "Move the drone out to just over the rise," He pointed left on the screen, where the mountain rose to it's highest point, "Once the supports are gone, I'm going to rig the gas mains, and oil depots beneath the building to blow,"

"That'll destroy the mountainside," She reorganized the voice of Anderson, who seemed skeptical of Ashs words.

"A mountainside in exchange for giving us approximately six years time on Team Rocket, and the main priority of this operation remember is to locate where the orders of the supplies came from. If my assumptions are correct, Giovanni's location will be revealed from the shipping payments."

Andersons voice carried to her once more, "If they're not?"

"We've still set TR back six years, pissed the living hell out of Giovanni, and will give me the chance to hunt down Mewtwo before Gio locates him,"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The meeting dispersed, and she waited as Ash spoke in low tones with Anderson, who seemed to be cooperating for once with the former Rocket.

He must have changed in someway either after the memory restoration, or since Ash spoke his mind down in the holding cell.

Anderson walked away a few moments later, gave her a polite nod as he passed her and left the room.

She took that as her cue, and went over to Ash who was packing some files into a briefcase, "How'd it go?" She asked curiously, "seemed like everything was moving smoothly enough,"

He glanced over his shoulder to her, "They'll cooperate, after all they can't have their reputation soiled by killing so that all falls on me. If they wanted to infiltrate the building with me, they would all have to take a few lives, none of these men are allowed to do that."

She grimaced, "You say it so easily," She said clasping her hands behind her back, "so what are you up to next?"

He did up the briefcase and gestured for her to follow as he started to the door, "I've got a week to prep for this thing, and a solid three quarters of that will be preparing Alyssa for this. The other quarter I want to get out of the way right now, and that's researching Viridian City,"

"Well uh, before you go and do that," She said lightly keeping her eyes focused anywhere but his, "could you have dinner with me?"

His shoulders sagged and she was a little insulted, "Mist," He said slowly, "we've been through this, relationship stuff is on hold until this is over. I don't have time for luxuries,"

She sputtered, cheeks reddening, "N-Not because of... Us," She laughed anxiously, "I, we haven't had any time, just us... Not since you've gotten your memories back,"

He looked skyward, thought about it and said, "Can't Misty, I'm sorry. This isn't something that can be taken light-"

She shot out her fall back plan before he finished, "I-I-I want you to train me to!" She exclaimed loudly drawing attention from all around.

He stopped in the hall and placed a hand on his hip, "Mist," He said empathetically, "what is it you want?"

_He knows something's up! _She shouted in her head, "I want to go in the field with you!" _No, I really don't, but Alyssa needs time to do whatever she needs, "_So please train me!"

He let out a long breath, and reached with his free hand to his hip where a knife was sheathed. He removed it, and held it up in front of her by the blade.

"Hold this," He said casually, holding the hilt out towards her.

She took it, and was startled by how heavy the knife must have been. The metal was heavy, and she wouldn't have been surprised if it could have been used as a substitute for a machete.

He then held out his arm towards her, "Cut me," Her eyes bulged in their sockets and she gaped, "cut me and I'll train you. Not a small nick, but deep enough that I require stitches,"

Her mouth moved soundlessly and his eyebrow rose, "No? Well that's a shock," it was sarcastic, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything, "if you don't do as I say here, your a liability in the field. Can't hesitate, can't second guess me. So what are you really doing here?"

"I-I-I..." What was she supposed to say? Lie? He'd be able to tell in an instant! She needed something! "I want to know if you slept with Domino!"

What did she just say?

She got a reaction out of him, wasn't sure what to make of it, but she was stalling none the less.

"Jealous if I did?"

She squeaked and her body couldn't have felt hotter then it possibly could at how casually he had answered, "Y-Y-You slept with her!"

His face was emotionless and he replied, "Did I?" She couldn't tell if he was saying he did or didn't. His tone never wavered, his face showed no sign of whether he had or not.

Hell he may just be teasing her for all she knew!

"Well this has been fun," He finished, "But I've got work to do," before she came to terms with what he had said, he was already around the corner and out of sight.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

She picked his lock easily enough, and swung his door open once she saw him round the corner towards the command center.

He was meeting with Anderson and his strategists to plan the raid on the Shadow Compound located up in the Farwind Mountains.

That guaranteed her an hour tops, and then whatever time Misty could buy her.

She stepped into his room, saw his Espeon and Pikachu on his bed, and smiled at them, "Afternoon you two," She said lightly going over and sitting down next to them, conveniently next to the stack of note books.

Pikachu waddled over to her and she stroked his fur, "Pikapi kachu Chupi?"

She knew more or less what Pikachu asked, "I came to check something out Pika," She said softly, "I'm worried about Ash, I don't want him knowing that I came here,"

She felt pressure against her back, and reached behind to stroke the magenta cats fur, "Can you keep it secret?"

Pikachu regarded her thoughtfully before nodding, "Pi Chupi," he said cheerfully, going back to curl up on the pillows.

"Thanks Pika, how about you Espeon?"

She got a purr in response, and she took that as a yes, "Thank you to miss,"

She then reached forward and took the top notebook, she licked her thumb like most teachers do before flipping open a book which they're reading to the class, and turned over the cover.

"May 20th," She read aloud, blue eyes skimming the big wall of text Ash had written days before, "I remember being late, but the anxiousness of..." She trailed off, eyes furrowing together as she read the next few words.

Her mouth fell open, and her breath hitched in her throat. She finished the page, and glanced up at the wall in front of her, a stricken look on her face.

Quickly she flipped rapidly through the rest of the pages, couldn't find what she was looking for and took the next in the stack.

She skimmed through it, bottom lip held gently between her teeth, and searched with an anxiousness she nerver knew was possible.

What she was looking for wasn't in that notebook so she took the next, and with the same result she moved to the fourth.

Her foot tapped rapidly on the floor, and she scanned quickly, until she came to the date she had been looking for. She read the multiple entries following it, and when she finished, closed the notebook and re-stacked them in the order she had found them.

She stood and looked to Pikachu, "I'm going Pika," She said in almost a whisper, "I-I've got what I need, I'll see you at dinner,"

He cooed to her and she gave him a small smile, before she left, closing the door gently behind her.

She returned to her room, laid down on her bed and closed her eyes suddenly feeling tired. Alyssa muttered to herself softly, "So he really _is_ keeping things from me,"

* * *

_**Thanks everyone for reading, please drop in a review and let me know what you all thought! I'll see you all next time!**_


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